TJ Strydom | JOHANNESBURG

The former head of South Africa’s power utility Eskom has approached the courts to overturn his sacking, local media reported on Sunday.

Eskom was told to remove chief executive Brian Molefe last week after members of the ruling African National Congress criticised his reinstatement just two weeks ago, given he resigned last year amid allegations of graft.

Molefe has launched an urgent application in the Labour Court in Johannesburg to have the decision to remove him declared invalid, the Timeslive website reported.

Eskom and Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown were listed as respondents, the report said. Neither Eskom nor Brown’s spokesman could immediately be reached for comment by Reuters.

Molefe resigned in November after a report by the Public Protector, a constitutionally mandated corruption watchdog, raised questions over Eskom coal contracts awarded to a company owned by the Gupta family, wealthy friends of President Jacob Zuma.

Zuma’s opponents said Molefe’s return was a new attempt to access contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Government ministers have said the Guptas have offered to secure them promotions in return for tenders.

Zuma and the Gupta family deny wrongdoing. Molefe also denies any wrongdoing and said he resigned in the first place in the interest of good governance and stability.

(Reporting by TJ Strydom)