Dirk Hermann, the chief executive of Solidarity, has expressed regret over the departure of Jan Oberholzer, the outgoing chief operating officer of Eskom.
The state-owned power utility announced Oberholzer’s resignation on Monday, stating that it was a mutual agreement, with his tenure concluding on July 31.
Recognizing Oberholzer’s significant contributions, Eskom conveyed its gratitude for his dedicated service and expertise spanning over three decades.
“Mr Jan Oberholzer was on a fixed-term contract to provide support to the Koeberg nuclear power station long-term operation and Kusile power station projects,” Eskom said.
“Eskom expresses gratitude to Mr Jan Oberholzer for his dedicated service, expertise and valuable contributions during his tenure. We wish him well in his future endeavours.”
Emphasizing the importance of his role, Dirk Hermann described Oberholzer as a “modern-day hero”, noting that his time at Eskom was marked by numerous challenges, making his knowledge and input invaluable.
According to Dirk Hermann, Oberholzer’s efforts were instrumental in stemming the deterioration of the power utility.
“He was an Eskomite through and through. His technical knowledge came at the right time to avoid implosion at Eskom. He could stem the speed of deterioration at Eskom. It is a pity that it is now coming to an end,” Dirk Hermann said.
While acknowledging that Oberholzer’s memories of earlier years at Eskom might differ from the later years, Dirk Hermann underscored that his contributions in the later years were equally significant.
He also attributed Oberholzer’s work to sustaining Eskom during the challenging times and potentially paving the way for private sector’s involvement in power generation.
“It was his work that kept Eskom going through dark times. His actions possibly also won time for the private sector to enter power generation in the country.
“Solidarity believes that those very contributions by Oberholzer probably paved the way for a sustainable and decentralized energy landscape in the country’s future.”
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