Ben Ngubane still has much to answer for, says DA

Ben Ngubane File picture: Melinda Stuurman/Independent Media

Ben Ngubane File picture: Melinda Stuurman/Independent Media

Published Jun 13, 2017

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Cape Town - The Democratic Alliance (DA) has said that the shock late-night resignation of Eskom Board Chairman Ben Ngubane would not exonerate him from liability for the breakdown of governance at the power utility.

 

Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown announced late on Monday night that Ngubane had resigned from his post.

 

"Dr Ngubane formally tendered his resignation, which I accepted," Brown said in a statement. 

DA spokesperson on public enterprises Natasha Mazzone said in a midnight statement that Ngubane still had much to answer for as his resignation came "hot on the heels of damning revelations of the capture of Eskom leadership by the Guptas, and the breakdown of corporate governance at Eskom". 

"Mr Ngubane, who presided over the retrenchment/retirement/rehire of Brian Molefe as Eskom CEO has much to answer for, not least of which includes Molefe's R30 million 'golden handshake' deal and an avalanche of accusations that the Guptas have milked Eskom over many years. 

"Ngubane's resignation will not exonerate him from liability for the breakdown of governance at the power utility, and the DA will use the Parliamentary Inquiry into Eskom, set to commence on June 21, to hold Ngubane to account," Mazzone said. 

Mazzone said that allegations by former Mineral Resources Minister, Ngoako Ramatlhodi, that Molefe and Ngubane had tried to strong-arm him to withdraw Glencore's Optimum mining licences in order to guarantee that the Guptas takeover Glencore's coal mines had yet to be probed.

 

So too the alleged Matshela Koko R1 billion nepotism scandal, which Mazzone said occurred on Ngubane's watch.

 

In her statement, Brown said: "I would like to thank Dr Ngubane for his contribution to turning Eskom around since the load shedding days of 2014/15, and wish him well in the future."

Brown appointed Zethembe Khoza as the interim board chairman "until I am able to take new Board appointments to Cabinet for approval". 

African News Agency

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