Eskom confirms return of former CEO

Friday, May 12, 2017

Pretoria - Former Eskom Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Brian Molefe will return to the power utility next week, the Eskom Board confirmed on Friday.

“Mr Molefe will return to Eskom on Monday,” board spokesperson Khulani Qoma said.

Molefe’s return to the state entity follows on Public Enterprises’ Minister Lynne Brown declining a R30-million pension pay-out to Molefe. Eskom is one of the entities falling under the portfolio of Minister Brown.

In April, the Minister said the Eskom board’s reasoning in formulating the proposed pension pay-out was conceived lacking in legal rationale.

Subsequently, Minister Brown also granted the Eskom board more time to resolve through a mutually beneficial consultation process a pension pay-out to Molefe. 

Speaking to SAnews on Friday, Qoma said following a consultation process, options were presented.

“The optimum option reached was to rescind the decision to grant Mr Molefe early retirement,” he said.

Molefe -- who announced in November 2016 that he would voluntarily step down from his position with effect from 1 January 2017 -- would return to Eskom as Chief Executive Officer on Monday.

“It will be business as usual on Monday,” said Qoma.

At the time, Molefe said his decision to step down followed the publication by former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s report into alleged state capture. He said his stepping down is not an act of admission or wrongdoing on his part.

Parliament confirms resignation

Meanwhile, Parliament also confirmed that Molefe, who following his resignation had become a Member of Parliament, had resigned from the job.

“Parliament wishes to confirm the resignation of Mr Brian Molefe as a Member of Parliament effective from Sunday, 14 May. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Baleka Mbete, wishes Mr Molefe well,” said Parliament. – SAnews.gov.za