Better than a R30m pension: why Lynne Brown gave nod to Molefe’s return to Eskom

CAPE TOWN - Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown said Friday that she believed it was preferable to have Brian Molefe back in his old job as CEO of Eskom than have to pay him a R30m pension payout. The minister also announced interim CE Matshela Koko had decided to take leave pending the outcome of an inquiry by legal firm Cliff Dekker Hofmeyr into allegations that his stepdaughter, Koketso Choma, received R1bn while a director of Impulse International, which received a number of contracts from Eskom when Koko was head of generation. Brown said at a hastily called media briefing that the Eskom board had consulted her this week about the outcome of its deliberations with Molefe on the R30m pension payout, which Brown had previously rejected. Various options were considered, including the reinstatement of Molefe, who agreed to serve the remaining term of his original contract and to reconsider the terms of the contract which resulted in the pension payment of the R30m. He will retu...