Brian Molefe’s military career – with the exception of honorary colonel duties at the SA Irish Regiment – is currently on hold.
In November last year the former Eskom chief executive was reported to be assisting the Department of Defence (DoD) with auditing queries as a member of a SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Reserve Force “pool of specialists”.
Sunday newspaper City Press now reports Molefe’s call-up period ended on November 17. Additionally, it reports the man who has been ordered to pay back R11 million of a pension pay-out from Eskom was not paid by the military for his “specialist services” during a call-up spanning the period August 23 to November 17. This is according to DoD head of communications, Siphiwe Dlamini, who when Molefe’s service as a member of the Reserve Force first came to light last November, issued a more than 700 word statement to “clarify” the issue of his call-up.
That statement read, in part: “It must be pointed out that Mr Molefe is a Reserve Force member and is also an Honorary Colonel of one of the Reserve Force Regiments. His appointment in the Reserve Force Component of the SANDF dates as far back from the time when he was the Public Investment Corporation Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He has, like all members of the Reserve Force, successfully attended the obligatory training preceding an official Reserve Force appointment.
“The SANDF created a special dispensation in 1994 aimed at transforming the Reserve Force leader group whereby selected senior ex-Non Statutory Force members were incorporated into the SANDF. Their allocated rank was based on seniority and former military experience while in exile.”
Molefe’s identification as a member of the “pool of specialists”, according to Dlamini, happened in 2009. That was when he was earmarked to serve as an officer in control of the audit section of the “pool of specialists”.
It appears the services Molefe can offer the SANDF are currently not required and he will thus not be called-up.
Military trade union Sandu (SA National Defence Union), said in November Molefe’s call-up was illegal. According to its national secretary, Pikkie Greeff, “an honorary colonel is not, by law, eligible, for call-up on active duty”. He also said criminal charges would be laid because Molefe “must be brought to book together with whoever in the military aided this fraud and he must pay back the (military) salary he received”.
According to the SANDF personnel system Molefe would have been paid R57 000 a month as a full colonel while in uniform as a Reserve Force member.
