▁to ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁trans par ency ▁in ▁the ▁proc ure ment ▁processes ▁and ▁the ▁dis reg ard ▁of ▁civ ic ▁society . ▁President ▁Jacob ▁Z uma ▁never theless ▁pushed ▁ahead ▁with ▁plans ▁to ▁secure ▁nuclear ▁power . ▁ ▁Leg ality ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁Public ▁Prote ctor ' s ▁" State ▁of ▁Capt ure " ▁report , ▁which ▁imp licated ▁him ▁and ▁Jacob ▁Z uma ▁in ▁the ▁ped d ling ▁of ▁state ▁patron age , ▁Brian ▁M ole fe ▁res igned ▁from ▁his ▁position ▁as ▁executive ▁chief ▁of ▁E sk om ▁on ▁ 1 ▁January , ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁However , ▁anal yst s ▁noted ▁that ▁cor ruption ▁at ▁E sk om ▁was ▁deep - root ed ▁and ▁that ▁M ole fe ' s ▁res ignation ▁would ▁not ▁resolve ▁the ▁nuclear ▁question . ▁In ▁April , ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁E sk om ▁requested ▁that ▁the ▁Tre as ury ▁department ▁wa ive ▁proc ure ment ▁reg ulations ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁nuclear ▁plants , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁E sk om ▁" had ▁done ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁prior " ▁and ▁that ▁these ▁efforts ▁were ▁ade qu ate . ▁The ▁Democratic ▁Alliance ▁object ed ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁this ▁would ▁emb ark ▁the ▁state ▁on ▁its ▁" single ▁biggest ▁public ▁proc ure ment ▁without ▁fully ▁assess ing ▁associated ▁ris ks ▁and ▁consequences ▁for ▁SA ’ s ▁economy ". ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 6 ▁April , ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁following ▁a ▁legal ▁application ▁by ▁Earth life ▁Africa