JOHANNESBURG, February 19 (ANA) – The Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) on Sunday expressed dismay that former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe, who was linked to the wealthy politically-connected Gupta family in former public protector Thuli Madonsela’s “State of Capture” report, is to be sworn in as an African National Congress MP.
In the report, Madonsela had revealed that Molefe and Ajay Gupta, the eldest of the Gupta brothers, exchanged 58 telephone conversations between August 2015 and March 2016. Cellphone records secured by Madonsela also located Molefe at or near the Guptas’ Saxonwold, Johannesburg, compound 19 times between August 5 and November 17, 2015, Fedusa said in a statement.
“The allusion to an improper relationship between Molefe and the Guptas also link him to the manipulation of an Optima mine coal supply agreement that saw the power utility silently awarding a R564 million contract to Tegeta, a company owned by the Gupta family and President [Jacob] Zuma’s son Duduzane.
“Although the allegations contained in the report are yet to be tested in a court of law, Fedusa believes that they make Molefe a highly compromised individual who should be cleared before being appointed to such a constitutionally important institution as Parliament.”
Fedusa also understood that although North West ANC provincial secretary Dakota Legoete claimed that Molefe was an ANC member in good standing of ward 29 in Hartbeespoortdam in Madibeng local municipality, no proper and due nomination process was followed and the ANC secretary general was bypassed.
“In our opinion, this is clearly a case of factional politics in the ruling party coming to play to the detriment of the people of South Africa, the economy, and due process.
“Molefe’s appointment as MP not only sets the ground for his possible appointment to the national executive either as a minister or a deputy minister of finance, replacing Pravin Gordhan or Mcebisi Jonas in those portfolios, something that could seriously destabilise our markets, but it will also undermine the integrity of Parliament.
“Fedusa firmly believes that the scope for renewed efforts at state capture will be strengthened if Molefe is sworn in as a member of the National Assembly and that the timing of the announcement of his nomination on the eve of the tabling of the national budget by the minister of finance does not augur well for the people of South Africa.”
Fedusa would continue working with its attorneys to explore ways in which Molefe could be held accountable for the controversial Tegeta coal supply saga, it said.
– African News Agency (ANA)
