Molefe's tears at a press conference earlier this month. Source: Twitter/ Wands: When you can't afford the bill at the #SaxonwoldShebeen and you can't find the Gupta's

Home » Eskom CEO Brian Molefe Steps Down (and SaxonwoldShebeen Jokes Step Up)

Eskom CEO Brian Molefe Steps Down (and SaxonwoldShebeen Jokes Step Up)

PRETORIA – Eskom CEO – and chief creator of the #SaxonwoldShebeen hashtag that went viral in South Africa – Brian Molefe, has announced that he will voluntarily step down from his position with effect from 1 January 2017. “I have, in the interest of good corporate governance, decided to leave my employ at Eskom from 1 January 2017,” […]

By SAPeople
11-11-16 16:40
in Humour
Molefe's tears at a press conference earlier this month. Source: Twitter/ Wands: When you can't afford the bill at the #SaxonwoldShebeen and you can't find the Gupta's

PRETORIA – Eskom CEO – and chief creator of the #SaxonwoldShebeen hashtag that went viral in South Africa – Brian Molefe, has announced that he will voluntarily step down from his position with effect from 1 January 2017.

“I have, in the interest of good corporate governance, decided to leave my employ at Eskom from 1 January 2017,” Molefe said in a statement issued by Eskom on Friday.

saxonwoldshebeen-th“I do so voluntarily: indeed, I wish to pay tribute to the unfailing support I have had since I took the office from the chairman, the board and those with whom it has been my privilege to work with. Together we brought Eskom back from the brink.” 

His decision to step down follows the publication by former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s report into alleged state capture.

Molefe said his stepping down is not an act of admission or wrongdoing on his part.

“It is rather what I feel to be the correct thing to do in the interest of the company and good cooperate governance.”

Molefe's tears at a press conference earlier this month. Source: Twitter/ Wands: When you can't afford the bill at the #SaxonwoldShebeen and you can't find the Gupta's
Molefe’s tears at a press conference earlier this month. Source: Twitter/ Wands:
When you can’t afford the bill at the #SaxonwoldShebeen and you can’t find the Gupta’s

He claimed again that he had not had a chance to respond to Madonsela’s findings into the investigations before they were published.

According to Molefe the “observations” made in the report relating to his conduct are in material respects inaccurate, based on part-facts or simply unfounded.

Some of these ‘observations’ included that, according to cellphone records, he was in the vicinity of the Gupta Family residence in Johannesburg suburb Saxonwold at least 19 times. Madonsela has defended her right, as then Public Protector, to subpoena the phone records.

Molefe said he maintains that Madonsela failed to put intended harmful disclosures to him first, as required by law.

“She has effectively deferred my constitutional right to be heard to a future date, and to a further body, which she has ordered others to assemble,” Molefe said, adding that when the time comes he will be able to show that he has done nothing wrong.

A Nandos spoof ad
A Nandos spoof ad posted at the time of the press conference, earlier this month.

Molefe says he will take time off to reflect before deciding on his next career move. 

Earlier this month Molefe famously made light of the Report’s revelation that he had possibly visited the Gupta Family residence several times, saying  “there’s a shebeen there”.

His comment unleashed an explosion of #SaxonwoldShebeen jokes on Twitter. Today’s resignation heralded another surge in the hashtag…

https://twitter.com/Barry_Roux/status/797064973298049025

Responses to Brian Molefe’s Resignation, on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/magasman705/status/797071414507487232

https://twitter.com/SureKamhunga/status/797073656065261568