Ramaphosa to respond to allegations after Molefe’s testimony
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa will wait for former Eskom chief executive Brian Molefe to conclude his evidence at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture before responding to the claims Molefe made against him.
Evidence leader Pule Seleka told the commission yesterday that Ramaphosa had not responded to the Rule 3.3 notice informing him about the allegations Molefe made against him during his time as Optimum Coal Holdings shareholder and chairperson, when the company was still owned by mining giant Glencore.
Ramaphosa later headed former president Jacob Zuma’s administration’s war room on Eskom’s troubles.
Seleka said he got a message from Ramaphosa’s office that they had decided to wait until Molefe had fully testified before filing his response.
”We haven’t received anything from the president yet,” he said.
During his testimony on Tuesday, Molefe’s advocate, Thabani Masuku, called on the commission to investigate the allegations made by his client, including why the penalties issued by Eskom to Optimum Coal for supplying sub-standard coal were not pursued by the power utility and why its officials were so lackadaisical in pursuing the state-owned entity’s interests.
The commission has also asked that the statement of a former senior Glencore official, who denied that Ramaphosa was ever Optimum Coal chairperson, to be resubmitted as an affidavit under oath.
Clinton Ephron, former chief executive of Glencore’s coal business in South Africa, and director of both Optimum Coal Holdings and Optimum Coal Mine, told the commission that Ramaphosa had no direct involvement in the day-to-day operations of both companies in the period from 2012 to 2014 and never chaired the companies.
Yesterday Molefe said Ephron disputed
that Ramaphosa was Optimum Coal chairperson when there was sufficient evidence that the president previously held this position.
Molefe submitted three news articles and a Johannesburg Stock Exchange news service announcement of Ramaphosa’s appointment as Optimum Coal chairperson.
He said he found it very strange that Ephron’s first statement to the commission was not made under oath.
Commission chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo asked
that the announcement and articles referred to by Molefe be submitted as exhibits.
However Justice Zondo cautioned that the commission could not follow up on everything as it did not have the time.
“We can’t follow up on things whose relevance and importance is not clear.
“The commission must be satisfied that we use the time that is left optimally,” he said.
Molefe said it would be interesting for the commission to find out if the matter of Glencore and its coal supply agreements with Eskom was ever discussed when Ramaphosa chaired the war room.
Meanwhile, former Eskom and Transnet chief financial officer Anoj Singh is set to only appear before the commission next week.
Singh was due to appear yesterday after Molefe concluded his evidence.
However, Singh’s advocate, Anneline van den Heever, said Singh’s wife had had an emergency Caesarean and was ordered to stay in bed for 10 days and that this period would only end next Tuesday.
She said Seleka accepted the contents of Singh’s application to delay his testimony.
”We will be here next week,” Van den Heever assured Justice Zondo.
Zondo said the situation justified that he excuse Singh.
Singh will appear before the commission next week to give evidence related to Transnet.
DURING an interview with NewzRoomAfrika, acquitted former minister of state security, advocate Bongani Bongo mentioned how those the system sees as not following their agenda are charged as they go, as if law enforcement is buying airtime.
Bongo said law enforcement agencies should investigate and charge individuals after conducting proper research and necessary investigations, but what we’ve seen is that our law enforcement has been used to fight political battles.
The agencies supposed to protect us, demanding justice and be a beacon of hope , have now become a problem that they themselves were established to deal with.
We cannot have law enforcement agencies fighting factional party politics, working on rumours, media statements and a lack of evidence.
Let’s take the issue of Bongo. When rumours surfaced about his alleged corruption, a series of collaborated media statements came out, politicians masquerading as “constitutional experts” constantly fed us their biased opinion and a certain narrative was advanced.
Apart from the narrative, a picture was painted about the man that many knew very little about and the court of public opinion took its verdict. The man was guilty.
But as much as we can complain about the conduct of certain judges who rule based on media statements and public opinion, we must commend those in our fractured judiciary who continuously stand behind the rule of law, proper procedures and evidence.
Western Cape Judge President JP Hlophe heard the matter and decided the State failed to provide evidence to prove their allegation. Now going back to the interview,
Bongo mentioned how the charges against the secretary-general of the ANC, Ace Magushule, are politically motivated. We’re not saying don’t report on Magashule, but report on Pravin Gordhan, Cyril Ramaphosa and John Steenhuisen the same as you report about Julius Malema, for example. Gordhan appoints his family members on to boards and the media is quiet.
What South Africans should constantly keep in mind is that this is not about Ace Magashule or President Cyril Ramaphosa, it’s about our law enforcement agencies. MODIBE MODIBA | co-founder of YouTube channel, The Insight Factor
THE UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has appealed for $164.7 million (about R2.5 billion) to support growing humanitarian needs in the Central African Republic (CAR) and neighbouring countries as election-related violence continues to cause havoc.
“As humanitarian and protection needs grow, UNHCR is appealing for $164.7 million, of which $13.1 million are new needs related to the latest wave of displacement, to deliver critical assistance in CAR and neighbouring countries,” the agency said.
Violence escalated before and after the December 27 general elections in the Central African nation. Brutal attacks by armed groups have continued to drive hundreds of thousands from their homes in search of safety in other parts of the war-ravaged country or across borders to neighbouring countries.
Most refugees are fleeing to the Democratic Republic of Congo, while some are seeking refuge in Cameroon and Chad, crossing rivers in canoes.
Since the electoral crisis emerged in the CAR, neighbouring countries have reported the arrival of at least 112 000 people into border locations who fled the armed conflict, according to the UN.
“In addition to conflict and insecurity, Covid-19 is an ongoing threat to refugees and their host communities. UNHCR is working closely with local governments and partners to prevent the spread of the virus.”
The CAR plunged into violence when a coalition of mostly northern and predominantly Muslim rebels known as Seleka seized power in March 2013. Their brutal rule gave rise to the opposing anti-Balaka Christian militias.
In mid-December, a newly formed coalition of six armed groups, the Coalition of Patriots for Change, launched attacks, first to disrupt the elections and then to destabilise the government of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, who was re-elected for a second term in office.
The rebels’ fighting has enveloped the country and worsened a humanitarian crisis in the already unstable nation.