Minister Brown is after me: Eskom chairman
Eskom chairman Zola Tsotsi fingered Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown for orchestrating moves to remove him from the board, the Sunday Independent reported.
“She had someone else in mind for the position, but was outvoted by her Cabinet colleagues,” he was quoted as saying.
Tsotsi who is facing a board resolution to oust him in a special board meeting on Monday, said it became clear that Brown never wanted him at Eskom from the start of her tenure last year.
According to the report, Tsotsi alleged that Brown was “regularly caucusing” with at least three of the four suspended senior Eskom executives.
He alleges that Brown is accused of interfering directly in the commercial and operational decision-making at Eskom, the Sunday Independent reported.
Brown denied his allegations.
“I am not in the process of removing the chair. We are not there yet. He has been accessed by the rest of the board of certain allegations,” she was quoted as saying.
“I’ve asked the board to put allegations to him and give him the opportunity to respond. I will meet the board after that.”
According to the report, Tsotsi faces allegations of “misconduct involving dishonesty” on Monday after the charges were initially put to him in an aborted “hearing” on Wednesday night.
Tsotsi’s lawyer challenged the fairness of the process and called for a postponement to next week and he was given until Monday to make representations.
On March 12, Tsotsi announced that Eskom CEO Tshediso Matona, finance director Tsholofelo Molefe, group capital executive Dan Morokane, and commercial and technology executive Matshela Koko had agreed to step aside to allow for the inquiry.
More on Eskom
Eskom CEO goes to court over suspension
Eskom power stations from 1926 to 2015