Brown to be grilled on Molefe reappointment

Molefe was reappointed to the position to serve out the remainder of his five-year contract, leading to widespread public outrage.

Molefe was named as someone with close ties to the controversial Gupta family in the Public Protector's report into state capture.

The DA insisted that Brown account to the committee.

"The DA has asked the Secretary of the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, Mr Disang Mocumi, to ensure that Eskom and Minister Lynne Brown bring crucial reports and documents to the Committee tomorrow," says the DA's Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises Natasha Mazzone.

Mazzone says Brown and the Eskom board have confirmed their attendance.

"It is imperative that the minister now stick to that commitment considering that she bunked out of accounting to Parliament last week, on the basis of a legally inadequate argument that the Brian Molefe matter was sub judice," says Mazzone.

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Mazzone says the DA has requested that the committee members have certain documentation in preparation of the committee's inquiry.

"[We have requested] minutes from Eskom's board meetings related to the reappointment of Mr Molefe as Eskom CEO; Molefe's original contract of employment, in addition to his current contract of reappointment; the letter from the board instructing Molefe's R30 million 'golden handshake'; and the letter from Minister Brown giving the Eskom board the go-ahead to reappoint Molefe as Eskom CEO."

Mazzone says the DA has called for a full Parliamentary inquiry into Eskom, and says the DA believes that this inquiry must proceed urgently. 

"Eskom has become a haven for the politically-compromised as they loot and plunder our country's public coffers.

"The president, despite being implicated in all of the most serious Eskom scandals, has failed to intervene and it is now up to Parliament to ensure that good governance returns to Eskom."