Daily Dispatch
Courts are SA’s last defence
THE news of Brian Molefe’s imminent return to Eskom as its group CEO has been met with disbelief and shock. This is hardly surprising as the man publicly resigned just six months ago in a teary press conference where he vowed to go and clear his name. This was after he had been fingered in former public protector Thuli Madonsela’s “state of capture” report on the unhealthy dealings between Eskom and the Gupta family.
Molefe featured prominently in the report as his relationship with the Guptas was put under the spotlight. Molefe has yet to clear his name. At the time of his resignation, Molefe said that he would take “time to reflect” on his next move.
But it did not take long before he mysteriously surfaced on the ANC list from the North West – headed for the National Assembly. To make space for him on the ANC list, an MP from the same province, Abram Mudau, was forced to resign. Mudau has been sitting at home since February, awaiting further “deployment”.
To add insult to the injury, two ANC branches in two provinces claimed Molefe as their member – proving that his move to parliament was all part of a grand scheme by the Gupta-aligned provincial leadership of Supra Mahumapelo to have their man in parliament, at all costs.
Now that the plan to make Molefe finance minister – after the unceremonious firing of Pravin Gordhan by President Jacob Zuma – failed, the Guptas are moving their pliant pawn back to his old spot.
The ANC’s top six officials rejected Zuma’s suggestion of Molefe as Gordhan’s replacement. In his haste to return to his old job at Megawatt Park, Molefe did not even bother to tell the ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu or even Luthuli House of his sudden resignation as an MP.
This raises the question as to where exactly does Molefe go, if not to the ANC caucus or Luthuli House?
The answer is clear: Molefe has no shame and has proven, beyond doubt, that he is a stooge of the Guptas and Zuma by extension.
His return to Eskom shows that Zuma and his corrupt gang have no regard for South Africans, let alone the basic principles of corporate governance.
Their looting operation is in full swing and they will stop at nothing in their unquenchable quest to amass wealth in the quickest time possible and to capture as many state owned enterprises as possible.
It seems that even Luthuli House – which has demanded Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown reverse the decision – has lost control of the situation. Zuma has gone completely rogue and does not believe himself to be answerable to anyone – let alone the millions of South Africans that he is meant to lead.
Zuma reports to Saxonwold and Atul Gupta is the true president of this country as he pulls all the strings. Several civic organisations have indicated that they will challenge Molefe’s reinstatement in court, if Brown does not reverse it. It seems that this is the only possible route to go as Brown will never go against the Guptas or Zuma. Our courts are the last line of defence.