‘Brian Molefe has never been to our branch meetings’ – report
The ANC branch in the North West claims it has never heard of former Eskom chief executive Brian Molefe, according to a report in the Sunday Times.
It comes two days after the South African Parliament confirmed that Molefe would be sworn in as a member of parliament for that party branch.
The Sunday paper reported that Molefe is set to be sworn in as an MP on Wednesday, the same day that finance minister, Pravin Gordhan delivers the budget speech.
The Hartbeespoort ANC branch told the Sunday Times that Molefe has never attended its meetings.
“We don’t know him,” Christina Mululu, Madibeng municipality’s Ward 29 ANC branch secretary told the Sunday Times. “He has never come for a meeting … we did not nominate him for parliament.”
Molefe who was at first seen as the key player in bringing Eskom back in line, has become a controversial figure after being implicated in the wider Gupta state capture scandal.
The executive resigned as CEO of Eskom at the end of 2016 following the release of the Public Protector’s State Capture report, in which he was implicated as having a close relationship with the Gupta family.
The report contained phone call records, showing that Molefe and the Gupta brothers had made over 44 phone calls to each other in a small window of time.
This was over and above allegations contained in the report that the Gupta family had received preferential treatment by Eskom, and were even ‘bailed out’ by the power utility, where Eskom funded the family’s acquisition of Optimum coal mines.
It has been speculated that Molefe is being primed to replaced finance minister Pravin Gordhan in an imminent cabinet reshuffle.
If Molefe is appointed as deputy finance minister, he will have control over the Public Investment Corporation, which would be enough for president Zuma to execute his various strategies, while not upsetting the economy too much, said financial services group, Nomura, in a recent note.
Read the full report in the 19 February 2017 edition of the Sunday Times.
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