Molefe’s appointment as MP 'unhelpful'‚ says Cosatu

24 February 2017 - 19:37 By Genevieve Quintal
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Brian Molefe
Brian Molefe
Image: ROBERT TSHABALALA

Trade union federation Cosatu disapproves of the ANC’s decision to appoint former Eskom chief executive Brian Molefe as an MP.

The SA Communist Party‚ another ANC alliance partner‚ has also expressed unhappiness with Molefe’s appointment.

  • 'Where is that corrupt bastard?' - Molefe receives frosty welcome from opposition MPs"Where is that corrupt bastard?" That's how newly appointed MP Brian Molefe was received by opposition MPs as he made his first appearance in the National Assembly yesterday as a backbencher.

“The federation views this appointment as regrettable and unhelpful because Brian Molefe remains tainted by the public protector’s state capture report‚” Cosatu said on Friday. “He left some unanswered questions at Eskom and the people of this country deserve some answers from him.”

  • Brian Molefe now an ANC member of ParliamentFormer Eskom chief executive Brian Molefe was on Thursday morning sworn in as an ANC MP.

The trade union federation said it did not condone any “public lynching” of anyone who had not been found guilty by a court of law‚ but Molefe had failed to account and explain himself to South Africans.

Molefe was sworn in as an MP on Thursday‚ amid widespread speculation that he is to be appointed as a member of President Jacob Zuma’s Cabinet.

He came to Parliament by filling a vacancy on the ANC list of MPs in the North West.

He resigned as chief executive of Eskom late in 2016 after being mentioned by former public protector Thuli Madonsela in her State of Capture report of having a corrupt relationship with members of the Gupta family‚ who benefited unduly from the utility’s coal contracts.

  • Brian Molefe 'sworn in as MP'Speaker Baleka Mbete is expected to officially announce the swearing in of former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe as an MP on Thursday afternoon‚ after weeks of speculation.

Cosatu said Molefe’s resignation from Eskom had raised more questions than answers.

At the time of his resignation‚ Molefe said it was not a sign of guilt.

“He should have been allowed to clear his name first before being appointed to Parliament‚” Cosatu said. “This decision does not help the fight against corruption and also does very little to convince South Africans that the ANC has managed to decode the message sent by voters in last year’s local government elections.”

The federation claimed the move to put Molefe in Parliament fed into the story that the centre was no longer holding in the ANC and that the movement was not interested in what people had to say.

“Cosatu believes that we cannot afford to be selective when fighting corruption. We need to fearlessly fight corruption in both the public and the private sector.”

The SACP said Molefe’s appointment would be discussed at its central committee meeting to be held this weekend.

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