Brian Molefe’s appointment an outrage!

The Steering Committee for a new trade union federation strongly condemns the swearing in of Brian Molefe as a Member of Parliament, and calls on MPs to refuse to endorse his appointment and all ANC members to immediately demand that the appointment to be reversed.

This move typifies everything that is worst about the way the ANC government is acting, by elevating into what should be the heart of our democracy to a man implicated in former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s State of Capture report, which alleged he had a close relationship with the Gupta family, and was in charge of Eskom when it made a questionable early payment to Gupta-owned company Tegeta for a coal shipment earlier this year. 

That amount in turn allowed the Guptas to finance a deal to acquire a coal mine, ensuring that they would become one of the state-owned power company’s main coal suppliers.The report shows 58 phone calls between Molefe and Ajay Gupta brothers and that he was in the vicinity of the Guptas’ home 19 times between August and November last year. 

He subsequently resigned from Eskom but he has still to answer these charges. It is outrageous therefore that he should now be rushed into parliament, with no nomination from any ANC branch and rewarded with a position which should only be given to South Africans with an impeccable record of public service and be democratically nominated by rank-and-file structures.

When he resigned he hypocritically said was leaving “in the interests of good corporate governance” and to reflect on his next move. But, as Save South Africa has said: "Brian Molefe’s appointment as a Member of Parliament is proof that President Jacob Zuma’s administration does not punish corrupt conduct… If the public does not voice and demonstrate their total opposition to this appointment, then Molefe’s handlers may soon have unfettered access to the public purse”.

The ANC not only does not punish corruption but is now rewarding it. It makes a mockery of ANC resolutions to set up an integrity commission to investigate allegations of corrupt conduct against members. It is basically showing the middle finger to the Public Protector and the people of South Africa. 

The remedial actions of the Chapter Nine institution include that a full Judicial Commission of Inquiry be established to follow up on all the allegations contained in the report, including a possible capture of Brian Molefe by the Guptas. Even before that has come to any finality the ANC deem it fit to elevate a suspect to high office. The elevation again speaks to the ease at which proportional representation system can be abused to run rings around democracy. 

We can bet Brian Molefe would never win any constituency if he was to be subjected to a direct election, so the ANC would not dare taking a risk by subjecting him to a direct election by a constituency. 

The ANC can afford to push him using a very questionable process that includes him being a member of at least three branches at the same time according to the information that has found its way into the media – thanks to the statements issued by the ANC branches themselves. 

The struggle against corruption and good governance has suffered yet another body blow. This will further undermine the ANC’s own credibility as paying lip service to the struggle against corruption and for good governance. 

It is not only the public and the Public Protector who are being misled, but even ANC Branches, and especially those who have testified that the 'evidence' of Molefe's membership was not endorsed by Branch Officers.

We urge all South African workers and all democrats to take to the streets in their thousands to protest against this endorsement of corruption.

Statement issued by Zwelinzima Vavi, Convener of the Steering Committee for the formation of the New Federation, 23 February 2017