We can relax. Everything will be fine with our power generation system, said André De Ruyter’s haters, as he resigned yesterday from the country’s worst job, chief executive of Eskom.
Now, the government won’t be deposed, at least according to loose cannon Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, who last week accused Eskom – and, by obvious implication, De Ruyter – of plotting to overthrow the state.
And, according to Matshela Koko – one of De Ruyter’s predecessors, accused of running Eskom into the ground and also charged with corruption, fraud and money laundering – De Ruyter’s resignation is a “new era” for the utility. Koko says he can end load shedding within a year.
What will become crystal clear within weeks is whether De Ruyter was the solution or the problem. If load shedding gets worse, then it’s the former; if it gets better, then it’s the latter.
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It is clear De Ruyter was trying to tackle ongoing, systemic corruption and sabotage which are benefitting a predatory elite. His continued presence would be a threat to that elite.
It is also clear the ANC government, which appointed him in the first place to head the Eskom salvage operation, is guilty of “constructive dismissal” after it made his conditions of employment unbearable. This culminated last week in the accusation of treason levelled by Mantashe.
As energy expert Chris Yelland pointed out, nobody defended him after that hugely defamatory claim – not the Eskom board, not Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, not even President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The ANC clearly decided to throw De Ruyter to the wolves, caring little about the instability this will bring, not only to our electricity supply, but to our country and our international standing.
ALSO READ: Eskom agitates for ‘overthrow of the state’ by not dealing with load shedding – Mantashe
