Thuli rejects R5m claim

Eskom's former board chairman, Ben Ngubane, was not "telling the truth" when he claimed that ousted finance minister Pravin Gordhan paid Thuli Madonsela to fast-track her state capture report, the former public protector said yesterday.

Madonsela told TimesLIVE Ngubane was "not telling the truth" to Gupta-owned television news channel ANN7 on Tuesday, adding that her request for additional funding, at the time, had been made openly to the government.

"The nation was advised about my intention to make the request, through the media before I wrote to government making the request."

The public protector's office had asked for R3-million but ultimately received R1.5-million which, she said, was "too little, too late''.

Madonsela told Parliament in 2014 that her office was "technically insolvent and it could struggle to continue with its operations in the next three years if its budget is not increased".

In early 2016 she told Parliament's justice portfolio committee about budget constraints resulting in an inability to finalise investigations with the required speed and within set turnaround times.

"Pravin Gordhan paid Thuli Madonsela five million to fast-track the release of the public protector's report on state capture," Ngubane claimed.

Madonsela's report brought into sharp focus the relationship between former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe and the Gupta family.

Ngubane, in the television interview, accused Gordhan of giving the former public protector additional funding to "hurry up" the state of capture report, which he described as a "hatchet job".

"Pravin Gordhan, when he was minister of finance, gave funding to the public protector to hurry up the state capture report.

"It was in the dying days of Thuli Madonsela's contract as public protector.

"That is why we were not even given a chance or a hearing. Our documents we submitted were never studied.

"That's why the report was hastily produced, without findings, mind you, but only remedial action requiring a judicial commission," said Ngubane.

He said the report needed to be reviewed.

Gordhan, he added, needed to explain why he "gave money to hurry up the state of capture report", which he described as inadequate and unfair, and had left Molefe "absolutely demoralised".

Gordhan told TimesLIVE yesterday: "That happened when I was a minister, which I'm not any more. Speak to Treasury on this."

TimesLIVE contacted Treasury spokesman Mayihlome Tshwete for comment, but no response was forthcoming by yesterday.