Eskom's decision to re-appoint Brian Molefe as Eskom's chief executive makes a mockery of the state capture report of the previous Public Protector (PP) on Molefe's relationship with the Guptas, says adv. Anton Alberts, the FF Plus parliamentary spokesperson on energy.
Adv. Alberts says the message this is sending makes it clear that the government has decided that the allegations made against Molefe in the report will not be investigated further because he would not have been able to return if there was an investigation under way.
The PP’s report found amongst other things that Molefe and Ajay Gupta called each other 58 times between August 2015 and March 2016, and that cell phone records placed him in the vicinity of the Gupta's house in Saxonwold shortly before a Gupta company was awarded a contract of R600 million by Eskom.
"There can certainly be no doubt that Eskom received a message from pres. Zuma that Molefe is not going to be investigated as the PP recommended. The recommendations in the report can only be changed by a court. The president must now fully realize that.
"Molefe has thus received the unambiguous message that he will be indemnified. The allegations against him have not been investigated yet. According to the FF Plus, it is part of the Zuma camp's attempt to strengthen its political and economic grip on the country.
"In recent years, Eskom has been characterised by extremely poor corporate governance and to top that the damning report about its chief executive’s stake in what the PP calls state capture.
"Now he just gets the green light to continue with his destruction. It is a blow in the face of every South African and a blatant effort of those involved to continue the process of state capture and to further milk Eskom in the process.
"If Molefe did not visit a shebeen at Saxonwold before, he will now have the opportunity to do it. The FF Plus will be watching the developments around Eskom and Molefe very closely," Adv. Alberts said.
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