The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Monday it would be filing for an urgent interdict at the North Gauteng High Court in a bid to stop Brian Molefe’s reappointment as Eskom chief executive.

DA spokesperson for public enterprises, Natasha Mazzone, said that Molefe was not a “fit and proper” person to be chief executive of Eskom because of the close links he allegedly has with the wealthy and politically connected Gupta family, as illustrated by the Public Protector’s “State of Capture” report.

“We have had our last briefing with DA attorneys who are this morning lodging papers at the Gauteng North High Court in Pretoria to have this appointment stopped with immediate effect,” Mazzone said.

“We feel that South Africa deserves better than someone shrouded in controversy being at the helm of such an important state-owned entity.”

Mazzone said that Molefe’s “overnight resignation” as MP and his reappointment as Eskom chief executive was “unacceptable”.

Mazzone was speaking outside Eskom’s headquarters, Megawatt Park, where a handful of DA and Congress of the People (Cope) supporters had gathered to protest against Molefe entering the premises.

Molefe’s imminent return to Eskom sparked widespread outrage among political parties and civic organisations, which over the weekend said the move reversed government’s commitment to fight corruption.

Mazzone said it was not true that Molefe had retired from Eskom as he himself said in his state he was stepping down in the interest of good governance, and was not entitled to a R30-million pension payout.

“Eskom put out adverts for the position of CEO. They did interview people, and people were shortlisted. So the whole process has just been for null and void, and this is not good governance. It’s absolute madness that one person can hold the whole country to ransom and Minister Lynne Brown should have a little more guts than to fall prey to this kind of lunacy,” Mazzone.

“If he stepped down in the interest of good governance, we are telling him he may not come back in the interest of good governance. He himself admitted that him being here was not good governance, and we think he should stick by his initial statement.”

Reuben Dube, a DA activist from Alexandra, said that they do not want Molefe coming close to Eskom.

“Brian must leave. I don’t want to want to go and talk too much what I heard of him or what I know of him. He is useless. We don’t want him in our spectrum of life. He must leave Megawatt Park,” Dube said.

A female local resident who declined to be named also staged her own solo protest against Molefe, carrying a paper written: “You’re not welcome Mr Molefe. You have stolen enough. Go home!”

“I came in on my own after hearing on radio that there was no one here. I’m not a member of any political party. But I’m tired of the pillaging of our tax money. South Africa is for all, not only a select few,” said the resident.