It’s not surprising that Eskom chair Ben Ngubane is “absolutely delighted” to welcome back the utility’s former chief executive Brian Molefe — he has steadfastly cheered and defended him through all his sagas.
Here’s a look at some instances where Ngubane came out guns blazing for Molefe.
Ngubane condemned suggestions that Molefe had chosen to return to the power utility because President Jacob Zuma had not appointed him finance minister in the recent Cabinet reshuffle.
The chairman also slammed the findings of the damning public protestor’s State of Capture report‚ which reduced Molefe to tears at a briefing a day after its release.
Molefe was shown to have a close relationship with the controversial and politically connected Gupta family‚ as evidenced by his visits to their Saxonwold compound in Johannesburg and his phone calls to Ajay Gupta.
(Molefe famously later said he’s been visiting a Saxonwold shebeen.)
Ngubane defended Molefe‚ saying that Madonsela had “struck a deadly blow against Eskom and against the people of South Africa”.
“If we lose Brian‚ she [Madonsela] takes the blame‚” Ngubane said at the time.
Of Molefe’s resignation Ngubane did not miss the opportunity to come through for him. He sympathised‚ saying the resignation was “understandable”.
Months later he credited Molefe for a turnout at Eskom. “Brian Molefe’s legacy will go down as the man who turned Eskom around. This is not a once-off exercise. Eskom has been turned around and will continue to generate surplus electricity.”
Ngubane waxed lyrical about the former Eskom CEO‚ saying he was “absolutely delighted” to welcome him back at the entity.
“In terms of our fiduciary responsibility‚ we had no alternative other than to bring [Molefe] back to help us‚” said Ngubane.
And Ngubane thinks Molefe should get a R9.5 million bonus despite his early exit from the utility – but the right policy would have to be followed.