Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Kebby Maphatsoe will this week confer special awards on Hlaudi Motsoeneng, Dudu Myeni, Brian Molefe, Tom Moyane and Mzwakhe Mbuli for their roles in transforming their respective industries, writes Lebogang Seale.
African Union commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma will also receive an award for her role in peace missions on the continent. President Jacob Zuma will preside over the awards ceremony on Thursday.
The conferring of the awards on the likes of Myeni (SAA board chairperson), Molefe (former Eskom chief executive), Motsoeneng (SABC head of corporate affairs) and Moyane (Sars commissioner) is likely to raise eyebrows, as they are all seen as Zuma’s close allies.
Maphatsoe said that they were selected for their role in transforming the economy. “I am not sure why people are saying so and so is aligned to the president. These are public servants, why do you want to destroy them. There’s no Zuma aligned.”
When asked about Motsoeneng, Maphatsoe said: “We leave the SABC politics and his weaknesses aside and analyse a person.
“Motsoeneng has played an important role in transforming the SABC. He has changed the lives of workers, he has changed the lives of ordinary people.”
Molefe was recently forced to resign after a damning State of Capture report by former public protector Thuli Madonsela linked him to the Gupta family, who are the president’s friends.
Maphatsoe said: “Remember he was at the Treasury and went to Eskom, and turned it around when there was load shedding.”
Myeni has been accused of running down the national carrier’s finances. Maphatsoe was full of praises for her yesterday.
“We are saying since she has been the chairperson of SAA, she has been trying by all means to transform the economy to go to the poor. Out of the R40billion of procurement (at SAA), R37bn goes to the big white monopoly. So, Dudu Myeni has been fighting to empower workers.
“Our people are not benefiting, that’s why there are attempts to remove her. Once you touch the nerve of the economy. That’s what we see about Dudu Myeni, that’s what we see about Brian Molefe.”
Maphatsoe said the decision to have the MK awards was taken after consultation with the president around 2012. The awards have been condemned by the MK veterans led by General Siphiwe Nyanda.