Andre de Ruyter has resigned as Eskom’s Chief Executive Officer, the power utility confirmed on Wednesday.
According to Eskom, de Ruyter has agreed to avail himself until March next year. The utility said that there is no plan for its chairperson to become interim CEO and that an executive search will be conducted to find a suitable candidate.
Eskom board chairperson Mpho Makwana said: “Mr De Ruyter has agreed to stay for an additional period beyond the stipulated 30-days’ notice to ensure continuity while we urgently embark on search for his successor. His last day at Eskom will be 31 March 2023.”
“On behalf of the Eskom Board, executive and the entire Eskom staff, I thank De Ruyter for his extraordinary service to the people of South Africa. I also thank De Ruyter’s family for supporting the Group Chief Executive during the tumultuous period,” concluded Makwana.
Mourning de Ruyter’s exit, trade union Solidarity Head of Research Connie Mulder said the wrong person has resigned. Mulder said de Ruyter’s resignation will not solve but only deepen Eskom’s crisis.
“The problem at Eskom is not the CEO’s operational will but the government’s political will. The best person in the country can be appointed to the position but the current political dispensation makes it an impossible task for the person.
“The politicians looked for a scapegoat to hide their own incompetence and exerted incredible pressure on De Ruyter. Instead of doing the right thing, the politicians sacrificed De Ruyter for the sake of their politics.
“De Ruyter stood on the oxygen line feeding corruption. Those who want to loot more exerted the most pressure for him to resign. Bigger corruption post De Ruyter is a real danger,” said Mulder.
Business Unity South Africa has also weighed in on the matter saying that de Ruyter’s resignation is a “major blow Eskom and the efforts to address the energy crisis”, but it is also not suprising.
The organisation said Eskom needs to find a replacement and restructure the utility as soon as possible to mitigate the ongoing “corruption and sabotage”.
“The Eskom Board must act with urgency to announce a replacement, even if on a temporary basis. The replacement must have the skills and capability to continue all efforts to reduce loadshedding, Accelerate the Eskom restructure, tackle ongoing corruption and sabotage and work with business to diversify the energy generation and distribution environment, with the focus on cleaner energy.
“Business remains committed to working with govt in this single biggest crisis, in the midst of a series of crises. We also urge President Ramaphosa to rise above the issues in the ANC and lead the country in urgently responding to this crisis. This exacerbates an already critical situation.
“Finally, we commend Andre for the valiant efforts he has undertaken under unbearable conditions, in the national interest. We wish him all the best,” it said.
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