EDITOR – The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) welcomes the release of the Public Protector Report that was ordered by the North Gauteng High Court.
Although the observations and allegations of a corrupt relationship between the Gupta family and high ranking government officials and executives of state-owned enterprises such as Eskom, SAA, Denel and Transnet, are yet to be tested in court, they form a solid basis for a thorough investigation by a judicial commission that President Jacob Zuma must appoint within 30 days headed by a judge appointed by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.
I am particularly concerned about the allusion to an improper relationship between Eskom Chief Executive Brian Molefe and the Guptas that led to the manipulation of coal supply agreements that saw the power utility silently awarding R564 million to Tegeta, a company owned by the Gupta Family and President Zuma’s son Duduzane.
According to the Public Protector’s report, for example, cellphone records show that there were at least 58 conversations between Molefe and Ajay Gupta between August last year and March this year. The same records locate Molefe 19 times in Saxonwold, the posh suburb in Johannesburg in which the Gupta village is situated.
FEDUSA will continue with its ruthless campaign against the looting of state assets and resources and has now formed a Section 77 Protest Action Task Team that will demand a forensic audit of all State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) with immediate effect and which must be completed within three months, the appointment of an accountability officer or Ombudsman for the SOEs and a Worker Director on the Boards of SOEs in the long term.
FEDUSA would like to thank institutions like the National Treasury and its Director General Lungisa Fuzile for their commitment and hard work to ensure good corporate governance and efficiency of spending by departments.
Dennis George
FEDUSA general secretary
