Parties challenge Molefe’s motives

BRIAN MOLEFE was yesterday accused of trying to delay court proceedings in the Labour Court when he applied for arbitration.

Molefe, who was in the high court in Pretoria for his urgent appeal to challenge his dismissal as Eskom chief executive, asked that his case be referred for arbitration or for trial.

Molefe’s legal counsel, Advocate Noel Graves, said Judge Christina Prinsloo should stay the case because the high court still had to decide on the version of events regarding his departure from Eskom.

But the DA and EFF, which are challenging his return to the state-owned entity, would have none of it.

Counsel for the EFF, Advocate Thembeka Ngcukaitobi, questioned Molefe’s motives, saying he had approached the Labour Court on an urgent appeal, but was now asking for a postponement.

“There is no basis for the case to be referred for a trial. What Mr Molefe wants is a postponement. He applied for an urgent application, and now because his matter is not urgent, he wants a postponement.”

Ngcukaitobi said Molefe asking for a referral from the court for arbitration was “abuse”.

The DA was no kinder. The party’s legal representative, Paul Kennedy, asked that Molefe’s case be struck off the roll.

Kennedy said that if Molefe wanted the matter to go for arbitration, he should withdraw his Labour Court application. “Mr Molefe does not need a court order to go for arbitration. He should go by himself. Why should this court be compelled to make a ruling on arbitration?” Kennedy asked.

Judge Prinsloo reserved judgment.