DA strongly opposes Nkululeko Poya’s appointment to CEF board

29 October 2019

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is shocked by reports that former Railway Safety Regulator CEO, Nkululeko Poya, has been appointed to the new board of directors for the Central Energy Fund (CEF), which is the state-owned company mandated to provide sustainable energy security solutions for South Africa.

This is extremely worrying as Poya is currently the subject of two criminal investigations related to maladministration, corruption, and the unlawful surveillance and cellphone interception of his fellow board members. The DA will thus write to the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, to request on what basis Poya was appointed, given the serious allegations leveled against him.

We cannot trust an individual publicly embedded in criminal investigations to conduct themselves in an ethical manner within CEF, when this body provides oversight to subsidiaries such as mining companies, the Petroleum Association of South Africa, PetroSA and the Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF). PetroSA and the SFF alone have already lost billions to chronic mismanagement and corruption. To allow someone implicated in such acts to help run these very same companies is tantamount to putting a knife in the hands of a man implicated in a murder.

Furthermore, reports indicate that complaints lodged against Poya through the Public Protector’s Office have never been investigated, with claims of dockets going missing. One of the individuals affected by Poya’s illegal surveillance is Mail & Guardian journalist, Athandiwe Saba, who has categorically reported the following:

“I am appalled that Gwede Mantashe could appoint Poya who has admitted in his labour court case papers that he surveilled me and RSR employees using state funds. There are criminal cases against him. And he resigned from RSR before the completion of his disciplinary hearing after a lengthy forensic investigation into his dealings into the RSR. This points to the many things that are wrong and rotten within the state”

These sentiments are compounded by the Railway Safety Regulator itself, with spokesperson Madeleine Williams stating:

“Based on the serious nature of the charges that were leveled against Mr. Poya, it is our subjective view that he failed to act in the best interests of RSR during his time as the CEO at RSR and that he did not understand corporate governance”

It is confounding to think that Cabinet would entrust the CEF to a man implicated in criminal investigations. It brings into question the ANC government’s seriousness in tackling corruption and maladministration head-on. This is an incredulously irresponsible hire by Cabinet and only displays disrespect to the people of South Africa, who deserve to know that their energy security lies safely in the hands of leaders we can trust.

Issued by Kevin Mileham, DA Shadow Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, 29 October 2019