On Wednesday, South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) chairman Jeff Molobela leapt to the defence of the organisation’s board, which has been given a notice of intention to suspend by Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies. The notice was issued on Friday with board members being given five days in which to submit reasons why it should not be implemented. The main reason for the notice was the dysfunctionality of the SABS, which Department of Trade and Industry director-general Lionel October said was not performing according to its mandate.
Other reasons were that the board had failed to act timeously on a request by Davies that it undertake a forensic investigation into the irregular issuance of an SABS certificate for sub-standard coal from Gupta-owned Brakfontein Mine; and that the subsidiary that issued the certificate, SABS Commercial, was established illegally as it did not get the required authorisation from the finance minister, as required by the Public Finance Mana...
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