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The FF Plus will be asking the Public Protector (PP) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the appointment of PetroSA’s new chairperson, Tshepo Kgadima, Adv. Anton Alberts, the FF Plus’ parliamentary spokesperson on Energy, says.

According to reports in the Business Day and Die Burger the police are investigating fraud charges amounting to millions of rand against Kgadima. He had apparently previously, as executive chairman and president of LontohCoal, scammed hundreds of investors by selling shares in fictitious projects to them.

The Business Day is also accusing Tina Joemat-Pettersson, the minister of energy of appointing Kgadima to the PetroSA position. She denied the accusation last week in Parliament.

Adv. Alberts says the position of chairperson of PetroSA is of the greatest strategic interest to South Africa’s energy industry and viewed against the background of the allegations, it is of the greatest interest that the PP investigates all relevant aspects surrounding the appointment.

“The FF Plus will be asking the PP to, amongst others, establish whether the correct procedures have been followed in the appointment and whether Kgadima is suitable for the position.

“In the light of the complaints against Kgadima, who is apparently a well-known international conman who allegedly also swindled a former ANC minister, Zola Skweyiya, Joemat-Pettersson’s allegations that she was not aware of his actions, is unacceptable.

“We will also be asking the PP to investigate Joemat-Pettersson’s links with Kgadima, as well as the allegations that she had recommended him for the position,” Adv. Alberts says.

According to Adv. Alberts, an enterprise which had concluded a contract with LontohCoal to sell mineral rights to LontohCoal, informed the FF Plus of their experience with Kgadima and that they had apparently lost R10 million after a contract was not honoured. In the mean time the company had also lost other opportunities to sell the rights.

Issued by FF Plus