Business As Usual For Molefe At Eskom

The freshly reinstated CEO has returned to the power utility despite damning allegations.
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Brian Molefe, chief executive officer of Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., left, shows Jacob Zuma, South Africa's president, around the headquarters of Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. at Megawatt Park in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday, May 6, 2016. It appears to be just a matter of time before South Africas credit rating is cut to junk.
Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Eskom and its newly reinstated CEO Brian Molefe seem to have continued to work smoothly this week, even though new incriminatory claims have now surfaced.

The ANC and the Department of Public Enterprises have both remained mum on the issue.

Former Mining Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi's damning allegations against Molefe and Eskom Board chairperson Ben Ngubane seems to have gone unheard, with the ANC – who lashed out at Minister for Public Enterprises Lynne Brown for Molefe's reappointment – declining to comment.

In a quick response by the ANC's spokesman Zizi Kodwa, he said Ramatlhodi's allegations do not further entrench the party's calls for Molefe's reappointment to be reversed.

He also said there were no updates the ruling party could provide on the issue.

Department of Public Enterprises spokesman Colin Cruywagen said Brown is in discussion with President Jacob Zuma and his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, over ways to resolve the Molefe debacle. He did not comment on whether Brown would consider rescinding Molefe's reappointment.

Molefe was welcomed back to the utility on Monday and was expected to give the opening address at the African Utility Week conference in Cape Town on Tuesday morning. But he did not show.

This came after the AmaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism revealed allegations by Ramatlhodi which claimed Molefe and Ngubane had a role in the sale of the Optimum Mine to the Guptas.

All eyes were on Molefe's speech at the conference after the article was published, but Ngubane spoke in his place – denying the allegations.

Molefe will seemingly continue wearing the parastatal's CEO hat until a decision is taken by Brown.