In a statement released by Eskom, he says he will leave office on 1 January next year.

JOHANNESBURG - Eskom CEO Brian Molefe has just announced that he will resign from his position.

In a statement released by Eskom, he says he will leave office on 1 January next year.

Mr Molefe says he'll take take time off to reflect before deciding on his next career move. — Khulu Phasiwe (@KhuluPhasiwe) November 11, 2016

Molefe says he was not properly treated by the former Public Protector Advocate Thuli Madonsela.

Molefe features extensively in the Public Protector’s State of Capture report, released last month, and his close relationship with the Guptas emerged as one of the big outcome of this investigation.

The State of Capture report found that Eskom helped the Guptas put the Optimum coal mine out of business and that Molefe was in regular contact with the family.

The report has been scathing of Eskom. Molefe features extensively in this report and his close relationship with the Guptas has emerged as one of the big outcomes of this investigation.

In an interview with the Public Protector, Ajay Gupta confirmed that he’s very good friends with Molefe.

The report found the board of Eskom was improperly appointed, certain conflicts arose and the Minister of Public Enterprises Lynne Brown took no action to prevent these conflicts.

The report also showed how investigators used cellphone records to illustrate with diagrams the numerous times Molefe visited his friends, the Guptas, in Saxonwold.

Between 2 August 2015 and 22 March 2016, Molefe called Ajay Gupta 44 times and Gupta called Molefe 14 times.

WATCH: Brian Molefe on the Guptas

‘BLAME MADONSELA’

Last week, Eskom chairman Baldwin Ngubane warned that if the parastatal loses Molefe, former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela will have to take the blame.

Ngubane said the board remained fully behind its CEO and insisted the damning details in the state capture report are purely speculative.

Ngubane said the company commended the Public Protector for releasing the highly anticipated state capture report, however, he believed the investigation was rushed.

Ngubane emphasised that no one should be allowed to tear down the country based on speculation.

He said Eskom’s board was satisfied that it had fully complied with all its legal obligations and that all its transactions were based on reasonable commercial contracts.

Click here for an infographic on Molefe’s movements in Saxonwold.