Brian Molefe returns to state capture inquiry to complete Eskom testimony

Former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe will return to the Zondo commission witness box on Tuesday morning.

Molefe will be expected to finish what he started in late January this year when his testimony was cut short. At the time, after three hours of testifying, commission chairperson deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo adjourned proceedings amid a Covid-19 scare.

Molefe had implicated President Cyril Ramaphosa in the capture of Eskom by Glencore — a company of which he was once a shareholder.

Molefe had accused Ramaphosa of having acted as a political shield and chief lobbyist for the interests of the foreign company. According to him, Ramaphosa had done this through his then position as chairperson of Eskom's “war room”, to which the Eskom executive directly reported.

Molefe had also defended his relationship with the Gupta family, while he took a couple of cheap shots at other leaders such as Tito Mboweni, Thuli Madonsela and Mcebisi Jonas.

His last words were in response to questions on whether he knew that former president Jacob Zuma had told fellow ANC top six leaders that he wanted Molefe as minister of finance to replace Pravin Gordhan.

“I know nothing about it and I will not comment,” was Molefe's parting remark, before the commission was adjourned prematurely.

One of the issues Molefe is expected to be grilled on Tuesday would be his role in the approval of a R1.68bn bank guarantee in December 2015 and a prepayment four months later to Gupta company Tegeta.

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