Ex-Eskom chairman not off the hook – ANC
DR BEN Ngubane, the erstwhile Eskom board chairman, is not off the hook.
The ANC and opposition parties, on one hand, yesterday called for him to be held accountable for the mess at the power utility in the wake of former chief executive Brian Molefe’s saga.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, on the other hand, said it had laid criminal charges against Ngubane.
Yesterday, Zukiswa Rantho, the ANC whip on the study group on public enterprises, described Ngubane’s resignation as “an attempt to avoid being held accountable for his role in recent events at Eskom”.
Rantho said Ngubane was central to the re-appointment of Molefe. She said the Eskom board had failed to respond to questions from the portfolio committee on Public Enterprises about Molefe’s appoint- ment and other misconduct.
Rantho said it was wrong for board members of public entities to resign to escape answering serious questions pertaining to their performance. “The timing and rationale of this resignation is, therefore, surprising and suspect.
“This sudden resignation must therefore be followed by an investigation into allegations of misconduct and cor- ruption at Eskom,” she said.
Ngubane and Molefe had lately come under heavy fire after the emergence of leaked e-mails linking them to President Jacob Zuma’s controversial friends, the Guptas.
The duo were accused of trying to force former mineral resources minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi to withdraw Glencore’s Optimum mining licences to clear a space for the Guptas’ takeover of the project.
They have denied the allegations.
Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown landed in hot water after the board gave three explanations on Molefe’s departure and return to Eskom. She was subsequently forced to rescind the decision after pressure from Luthuli House, the ANC headquarters.
Zizi Kodwa, ANC spokes- person, said the law should take its course against anyone implicated in wrongdoing, “whether incumbent or not”.
“The allegations contained in some of the e-mails are quite damaging to the image of the utility and the state.”
It is understood that the board will re-appear before the committee, which is continuing with the investigation, on June 21. Ngubane could not be reached for comment.