Tearful Eskom staff beg Molefe to stay

Eskom staff called an impromptu meeting at Megawatt Park, demanding that outgoing chief executive Brian Molefe withdraw his resignation.

Johannesburg – Eskom staff on Tuesday called an impromptu meeting, demanding that outgoing chief executive Brian Molefe withdraw his resignation.

Molefe resigned last week in the “interest of Eskom and the public it serves” following the release of former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s “State of Capture” report which implicated him in wrongdoing involving multi-million rand coal contracts with a Gupta-owned company.

He would leave his post on December 31, and take time off to reflect before deciding on his next career move, he said at the time.

Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe on Tuesday, first tweeted pictures of staff at Megawatt Park in a fully packed auditorium where they begged Molefe to reconsider his resignation and not leave the power utility.

Phasiwe said staff vowed to petition the Eskom board and the Minister of Public Enterprises to rescind Molefe’s resignation.

Molefe had told them that his resignation was not an act of admission of wrongdoing, rather it was what he felt was the right thing to do, Phasiwe said.

Phasiwe said the notable thing staff said to Molefe was how he had managed to boost their morale not only at the headquarters, but even at the remotest operating units.

“It was an emotionally charged meeting. Staff were crying and pouring hearts out why he [Molefe] should remain. They reminded him of the first meeting he had with them when he took over as CEO and assured them of his open-door policy, even giving them his cell number and his email address in case they could not go into his office,” Phasiwe said.

“The Franklin Auditorium was full to capacity. Staff said: ‘because you are you are refusing not to leave, we are going to write to the board asking to rescind your resignation letter’. But Molefe told them he decided to leave Eskom in the interests of the company and good corporate governance.”

When Molefe announced his resignation on Friday, Eskom chairperson Baldwin Ngubane said the decision “was regrettable but understandable” while the Minister of Public Enterprises Lynne Brown said she was “saddened” but respected the decision.

Phasiwe said it was now going to be up to the board whether to rescind Molefe’s resignation at the staff’s request, but indicated that it was unlikely since Molefe was adamant about his decision.

African News Agency