Eskom chief executive Brian Molefe announced his resignation on Friday following observations that adversely implicated him for his conduct with the Gupta family as contained in former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s “State of Capture” report.
Molefe said he would leave his post on January 1, 2017 in the interest of the power utility and the public it serves, and would take time off to reflect before deciding on his next career move.
“I have, in the interests of good corporate governance, decided to leave my employ at Eskom from 1 January 2017. I do so voluntarily: indeed I wish to pay tribute to the unfailing support I have had since I took up office form the chairman, the Board and with those with whom it has been my privilege to work. Together we brought Eskom back from the brink,” Molefe said in a statement.
“I wish to reiterate that this act is not an admission of wrongdoing on my part. It is rather what I feel to be the correct thing to do in the interests of the company and corporate governance.”
Madonsela’s State of Capture report revealed cellphone tracking records suggesting that Molefe had been dealing with the controversial family on numerous occasions.
The report revealed cellphone evidence that Molefe was at or near the Guptas’ Saxonwold compound in Johannesburg 19 times between August 5 and November 17, 2015, and that Molefe and Ajay Gupta made 58 telephone calls to one another between August 2015 and March 2016.
The report also revealed that the state-owned power utility might have repeatedly broken the law to accommodate the Gupta family-owned Tegeta Resources.
The damning report said Eskom had neglected its public mandate and prejudiced mining multi-national Glencore in order for Optimum Coal Mine and Optimum Coal Holdings to get into business rescue.
The report said Eskom had also awarded a contract for the supply of coal to its Arnot, Majuba and Hendrina power stations to Tegeta to enable the firm to purchase all shares in Optimum Coal Holdings.
Molefe said he was confident that when the time comes for the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into state capture, he would be able to show he did nothing wrong and clear his name.
– African News Agency (ANA)
