Ngubane denies suggesting Brian Molefe be appointed at Eskom
Updated | By Gaopalelwe Phalaetsile
Former Eskom chairperson Ben Ngubane has denied suggesting that Brian Molefe be appointed as the power utility's CEO in 2014.
He appeared again at the commission of inquiry into state capture on Tuesday.
Ngubane told the commission that it was former public enterprises minister Lynne Brown who put forward Molefe's name.
Brown said she only approved the appointment after the board discussed and endorsed it.
This was after four executives were suspiciously suspended, including former CEO Tshediso Matona.
Matona told the commission that he strongly believed he was pushed out of Eskom so whoever replaced him could advance the interests of the Gupta brothers.
"We approached the minister and presented our problem which was related to the leadership of the organisation. She said Molefe would help Eskom and we were very happy with this because in her word Molefe had done a good job at the PIC and Transnet. At a press conference, she also said the seconding of Molefe was discussed with the deputy president and former president Jacob Zuma," said Ngubane.
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Ngubane was asked by the evidence leader, Advocate Pule Seleka, for his thoughts on comments by other witnesses that Gupta associate Salim Essa predicted the appointment of Molefe as Eskom CEO seven months before he assumed the position.
Ngubane described it as strange, but he said the board never planned the Molefe appointment.
"If Molefe was a mediocre person I would say there was something amiss. However, among black people, there are very very few people with the capabilities of Molefe," he said.
He said because of these limited skills it is easy for people to predict where others will be placed.
Seleka pointed out that Essa did not just say he knew Molefe would be appointed, but that he was part of facilitating the appointment.
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