South Africa’s ruling African National Congress wants the public enterprises minister to reverse her decision to re-appoint Eskom chief executive Brian Molefe five months after he was implicated in a report into corruption allegations, two Sunday newspapers reported.
Minister Lynne Brown has been summoned to appear at the ANC’s headquarters on Monday, where she must defend Friday’s decision to re-appoint Molefe, which was heavily criticised by opposition parties and unions.
“The only moral thing we were expecting and we’re still expecting is to rescind and reverse that decision or dismiss the Eskom board because with this decision, they have failed to carry out their fiduciary responsibilities,” ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa told the Sunday Times newspaper.
Kodwa was not immediately available to confirm the comments, also carried in the City Press newspaper.
Brown told Reuters she did not want to “pre-empt the discussion” as the meeting was not taking place until Monday.
The return of Molefe, an ally of President Jacob Zuma, is likely to deepen divisions within the ANC ahead of a conference in December where the party will choose its next leader.
It will also raise concerns among investors about mismanagement and transparency at Eskom given the allegations of Molefe being influenced by the Gupta family, who are close to Zuma.
Molefe and the Gupta family have denied any wrongdoing.
Molefe resigned in November last year after a report by the Public Protector, a constitutionally mandated corruption watchdog, raised questions over coal deals between Eskom and a company controlled by the Gupta family.
Source: Reuters
