End game for Eskom board
Ben Ngubane: good riddance to a man worth his weight in Saxonwold gold
Ben Ngubane’s departure may be overdue, but he leaves behind a crippled board with just five directors — compared to 14 three years ago
It was fitting that on the day Hlaudi Motsoeneng was given his (final?) marching orders from the SABC, his erstwhile protector Ben Ngubane quit as chairman of electricity parastatal Eskom. The 75-year-old Ngubane has done much in the past few years to dismantle the legacy of any good work he might have done as a minister in Nelson Mandela’s first cabinet, and as premier of KwaZulu Natal. His resignation “with immediate effect” this week follows his equally ignominious departure, in 2013, as chairman of the SABC, where he was accused of facilitating Motsoeneng’s reign of terror. It’s been the same story at Eskom, where Ngubane pedalled to protect Brian Molefe as if his career depended on it. Last month, Ngubane welcomed Molefe’s (short-lived) return, saying it is “going to be for the good. He is going to be carrying on where he stopped, making affordable electricity available”. Then again, maybe his career did depend on it.Last week, it emerged in leaked e-mails that associates of th...
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