The reappointment of Brian Molefe to Eskom was a “joke” and would add to its leadership woes, the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) said on Friday.

In a media release, the union said Molefe was returning to Eskom “under a cloud” after the State of Capture report by the Public Protector implicated him.

“This situation is contributing towards making Eskom one of the weakest organisations in terms of leadership. We will await a proper invitation from Eskom so that we can comment appropriately on this joke,” the statement said.

“The Num would like Eskom to extend its new HR [human resources] policy to its members and other employees who can exercise their right to resign or take early pension voluntarily and later return to their previous position without loss of benefits.”

Last month, Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown objected to Eskom’s R30-million pension payout to Molefe.