Malusi Gigaba said 'no white CEO for Eskom', says Zola Tsotsi

In 2014, former minister of public enterprises Malusi Gigaba opposed the appointment of Steve Lennon as acting CEO of Eskom because he was white and would be frowned upon by the ANC's electoral support base.

This was revealed by former Eskom chair Zola Tsotsi, who was giving evidence before the Zondo commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture on Thursday.

According to Tsotsi, the board he chaired had wanted Lennon to act in the role when then CEO Brian Dames left, a decision he communicated to Gigaba, who at first agreed.

However, said Tsotsi, Gigaba came back weeks later, lambasting him “for appointing a white man when the ANC was facing the general elections”.

Gigaba instructed Tsotsi that Lennon could not be CEO and that the board must appoint Collin Matjila.

He said be believed someone had put Gigaba up to it and that it “was not him speaking".. 

Tsotsi said the board was not happy “because this flew in the face of a decision that we made”. Matjila was a board member at the time.

“That is how Mr Matjila came to act as the chief executive. When I say my term was turbulent from that time, this was a result of unhappiness by many board members about what transpired.”

Deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo asked Tsotsi if Gigaba told him what had changed his mind, having initially agreed to Lennon's appointment.

Tsotsi responded: “I was perplexed why there was change of mind. He did not give an explanation.”

Zondo asked Tsotsi how Lennon took the news that he would no longer be acting CEO.

“It was very embarrassing. I felt some sense of guilt. I could not say to him what Gigaba told me (that we should not appoint a white man). I made some excuse. He then asked to retire. It had a very unhappy ending for him,” Tsotsi said.