Staff Reporter.
Former Transnet CEO Brian Molefe return to the state capture inquiry.
He’ll testify about his tenure there.
The Commission will be hearing evidence related to the state parastatal.
Molefe headed the railway agency from 2011 to 2015.
In the past week, Molefe appeared before the inquiry to answer in his capacity as former Eskom CEO.
The commission had put to Molefe that it was too much of a coincidence that the Gupta-owned defunct newspaper — The New Age — knew of his appointment as Eskom CEO months before it happened.
When Molefe moved on to become Eskom CEO, Gupta foot soldier Salim Essa allegedly knew in advance.
It was strange, therefore, held Zondo and Myburgh, that Molefe was unfazed that his friends the Guptas always knew of his promotions before he did.
“I would have expected you to be concerned about that,” said Zondo.
Molefe fired the first salvo: “Maybe unlike you [Zondo] and Mr Myburgh, I am not a good conspiracy theorist.”
Myburgh pressed on: “Mr Molefe, Mr Essa was engaged in corrupt activities, using your name. Can you be quoted to be saying that did not concern you?”
Molefe responded: “You say Mr Essa was engaged in corrupt activities using my name. Is that what you [the commission] have found? It is alleged that he was using my name.”
Molefe’s insistence that he was not worried about Gupta predictions that turned out to be correct about his career’s upward mobility, prompted Myburgh to say: “Perhaps, Mr Molefe, you and I live in different worlds.”
Molefe replied with a sarcastic: “Yes, you and I do, Mr Myburgh.”
Myburgh moved his line of questioning to issues pertaining to Molefe’s links with the Gupta brothers. The evidence leader was interested in picking Molefe’s memory on the number of occasions he visited the Gupta compound. They argued on that point for a long time, each standing his ground, until it also degenerated to a sparring match.
“I am going to use your own maths,” said Myburgh. “You say it could have been once a month, twice a month or whatever, and as you say you have lost count because you went there so often, not because you went so little. Correct?”
Molefe responded with a right hook: “I understand mathematics is a complex subject, maybe for you Mr Myburgh, but I said you cannot draw a graph because if you do, you will arrive at the conclusion that I was there last month.”
Molefe could also not remember when he ceased visiting the Gupta residence.
He also could not recall how often he spoke to Ajay, the Gupta brother he was most close to.
The sparring session between the duo was not over yet.
Myburgh was not convinced, saying it was not good enough for an “intelligent man” like Molefe to forget things that are so important.
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Video Courtesy of SABC.