EFF calls for ‘admittedly clueless’ Mabuza to go

In a statement on Friday, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), slammed Eskom chairperson and acting CEO Jabu Mabuza, calling him “clueless” in the wake of renewed load shedding, which will now be heading into the weekend.

They called for his “immediate removal”, alleging he was incompetent, underqualified and “admittedly clueless”.

At a media briefing yesterday to explain why load shedding has returned and what Eskom plans to do about it, Mabuza responded to a question on whether he is the right person for his job by explaining that he didn’t apply for it and was there due to the decisions of President Cyril Ramaphosa and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan.

“Am I the right person? I would have applied for the job if I had the qualifications and I wanted it. I didn’t apply for this. South Africans and the president and the minister must make the call,” he said.

Mabuza made it clear at the briefing that he didn’t expect or want to end up having to explain the reintroduction of load shedding.

The EFF has interpreted his comments as a tacit admission by Mabuza that he doesn’t know what he’s doing.

“…Mabuza himself admitted to not being qualified to preside over Eskom as caretaker CEO. Why then has the ANC government imposed him on so crucial a state utility upon which well over 90% of the country depends for electricity?” asked EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.

Ndlozi also drew attention to a bizarre comment by Mabuza that he had called the press conference to supposedly suit the preference of news website Daily Maverick at Acsa’s airport offices.

“Why is Daily Maverick controlling the press schedule of Eskom?”

Ndlozi pointed out that if former Eskom boss Brian Molefe had mentioned that he was trying to suit the news schedule of now defunct Gupta-owned news channel ANN7, there would have been a massive outcry.

He alleged that the Daily Maverick is a news site favouring Gordhan and that the EFF would write a parliamentary letter to Mabuza to request more clarity on his relationship with the Daily Maverick.

“The problems of Eskom will never be resolved by an incompetent, clueless and admittedly unqualified executive like Jabu Mabuza. Surely South Africa is not in any lack of talent [sic] such that we have to be stuck with the Mabuzas of this world simply because they are loyal and report to Pravin Gordhan.”

EFF Statement on Jabu Mabuza, ESKOM and Daily Maverick. pic.twitter.com/vwBoj4F4Fu

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) October 18, 2019

(Compiled by Charles Cilliers)

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