DA doesn't trust Ngubane to investigate Eskom document shredding allegations

25 May 2017 - 16:45 By TMG Digital
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Asking Eskom chairman Ben Ngubane to investigate allegations that Eskom is destroying documents related to the reinstatement of CEO Brian Molefe is the equivalent of “asking a fox to guard a henhouse”.

This is the view of the Democratic Alliance‚ which had claimed on Wednesday that it had it “on good authority” that Eskom was destroying key documents related to the Molefe debacle.

The DA’s Natasha Mazzone had called on Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Browne to investigate and confirm if this was the case.

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On Wednesday‚ Brown’s spokesman Colin Cruywagen indicated that Brown would ask Ngubane to investigate.

Eskom’s acting head of legal and compliance‚ Suzanne Daniels‚ also asked Mazzone to substantiate her allegations as they were lacking in detail.

Mazzone was not satisfied with the answer from Brown.

In a statement she issued on Thursday‚ Mazzone said the DA would write a letter to Brown asking her to send her officials to collect documents at Eskom needed for the investigation into the re-appointment of Molefe.

Mazzone said according to numerous allegations‚ Ngubane appeared to be a compromised individual.

“Therefore‚ asking him to investigate this alleged document destruction is the equivalent of asking a fox to guard a henhouse‚” Mazzone said.

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Cruywagen said on Thursday that – in addition to instructing the Eskom board to investigate – Brown had also asked Mazzone to approach the minister with the evidence.

Molefe announced in November that he would step down as Eskom CEO from January 1.

Molefe then served an as MP from February before returning to his position this month‚ following the cancellation of the early retirement agreement he reached with Eskom.

From their explanations to the portfolio committee‚ Brown and Ngubane said Molefe had not resigned but had requested early retirement‚ which entitled him to receive a R30m pension payout.

The early retirement agreement was rescinded and this resulted in Molefe returning to his old job as CEO.

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