BusinessLive reports that the parliamentary inquiry into state capture kicked off on Tuesday with a probe into the nature of former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe’s employment contract and pension benefits.  

At issue was the validity of the R30m pension benefit paid to Molefe, which is now the subject of litigation.  According to a testimony by Ekom executive support manager Anton Minnaar, Molefe was employed on a permanent basis on a fixed term.  He maintained that if Molefe were simply employed on contract this would have required a total renegotiation of his remuneration package after the terms of his employment were changed by the public enterprises minister, but this never happened.  Minnaar stated that being a permanent employee, Molefe was entitled to full benefits, including pension benefits, with the only implication of his being on a fixed term being his ability to retire.  "In my view, he was definitely not employed as an independent contractor," Minnaar said.  But, evidence leader Ntuthuzelo Vanara said Minnaar was the only one at Eskom who seemed to hold this view.  He pointed out that the rules of the Eskom pension fund did not allow employees on contract to be members of the fund.

• Read this detailed report by Linda Ensor in full at BusinessLive

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page