DA welcomes Brain Molefe “golden handshake” judgement

25 January 2018

The DA welcomes the judgement handed down this morning by the North Gauteng High Court, ordering Brian Molefe to pay back the R11 million pension pay-out he received from Eskom.

The ruling today was a victory for the South African public and should serve as a warning for all those who have been involved or implicated in corruption at state-owned enterprises.

Further, the DA welcomes the Court’s findings that the pension agreement between Eskom and Molefe was invalid; Eskom’s decision to grant Molefe a pension be set aside; that Molefe did indeed resign; that his reinstatement be set aside; and that Molefe was not entitled to a pension.

The DA has long held the view that Molefe’s insistence that his return to Eskom was not a reinstatement but a continuation of his contract was unjustifiable and untrue.

The truth is that Molefe left Eskom under a cloud of controversy and corruption allegations. He was one of the architects of the capture of Eskom and he does not deserve a single cent of taxpayers’ money.

The Court ruling is another damning indictment on the Minister of Public Enterprises, Lynne Brown, as it was under her watch that Molefe almost got away with ransacking Eskom’s pension fund. The Court itself said that “the Minister and Eskom acted irrationally in ignoring the damning allegations in the Public Protector’s report”.

Molefe has been given 10 days to back the R11 million and the DA will keep a close eye to ensure that he pays back every single cent.

This ruling is not the end of Molefe’s worries. The DA has in the past laid criminal charges against Molefe and it is now time for the NPA to step up and prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.

Issued by James Selfe, DA Federal Council Chairperson, 25 January 2018