Brian Molefe quits ‘in the interests of Eskom and the public’

Eskom chief executive Brian Molefe has tendered his resignation in the “interests of good corporate governance” with effect from January 1.

“I do so voluntarily: indeed, I wish to pay tribute to the unfailing support I have had since I took up office from the chairperson, the board and with those with whom it has been my privilege to work. Together we brought Eskom back from the brink.

“I will take time off to reflect before I decide on my next career move,” Molefe said.

Molefe’s resignation comes less than two weeks since former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela issued her State Capture report in which he was mentioned many times in respect of his interactions with the Gupta family in particular.

“I wish to reiterate that this act is not an admission of wrongdoing on my part. It is rather what I feel to be correct thing to do in the interest of the company and good corporate governance,” he added in a statement distributed by Eskom.

“I go now, because it is in the interests of Eskom and the public it serves, that I do so,” Molefe said.

The “observations” made by the Public Protector’s report “are in material respects inaccurate, based on part-facts or simply unfounded”.

“She was also determined on recording ‘observations’ without, in crucial respects, putting intended disclosures to me first as she was by law required to do,” Molefe said.

“She has effectively deferred my constitutional right to be heard to a future date, and to a further body, which she has ordered other to assemble,” he added.

Molefe said that, if such a body was assembled to carry out the task, it would not be for some time “as recent experience indicates”.

“In the meanwhile harm is done to the institution it has been my honour to lead in the most difficult times, to its reputation and to my own. I say nothing of the harm, too, to others close to me.

“I am confident that, when the time comes, I will be able to show that I have done nothing wrong and that my name will be cleared,” he said.

Molefe joined Eskom in April 2015 from Transnet after a long career in government.

During his time at Eskom, the number of major power cuts was reduced dramatically but he courted controversy with his strong support of the Guptas as well as his decision to halt signing new contracts with renewable energy power producers and his strong support for building more nuclear power stations.