Molefe not on finance committee

Brian Molefe has been assigned to the international relations and economic development portfolio committees in Parliament. The move is surprising as there was speculation he would join the standing committee on finance before taking over from the finance minister.

Brian Molefe has been assigned to the international relations and economic development portfolio committees in Parliament.

The move is surprising as there was speculation Molefe would join the standing committee on finance as a prelude to his taking over from Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

Molefe confirmed his membership of these committees in an interview on Wednesday.

DA spokesman on economic development Michael Cardo said Molefe’s deployment was “cause for raised eyebrows”.

Cardo said: “I wouldn’t be surprised if Molefe made the banks collusion case his pet issue on the committee and used it as a pretext to go after the financial institutions.”

The interesting question now is whether the president will purge Ebrahim Patel.

The decision on which committees he would serve on arose from Molefe’s discussions with chief whip Jackson Mthembu and leaders of the ANC caucus.

An announcement of his membership will be made by Speaker Baleka Mbete in the parliamentary publication called the ATC — announcements, tablings and committee reports.