With the lights of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s “new dawn” at their dimmest – the country’s number one citizen seems to finish his first term as ANC boss how he began his tenure: appointing a new Eskom board.
Ramaphosa in January 2018, fresh from his upset win over Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma a month earlier, was bullish about Eskom, wooing investors at Davos.
He couldn’t wait for then head of state Jacob Zuma to step aside and allow him to fulfil his lifetime dream, that of being president of the republic.
Still deputy at the time, Ramaphosa led government’s delegation to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. His ascension to ANC presidency had alerted the international community that there was a new sheriff in town.
Weeks later, Zuma resigned from his position as president of South Africa after intense pressure from Ramaphosa’s allies in the ANC’s national executive committee – its highest decision-making body between conferences.
In a televised statement, Zuma said he was quitting with immediate effect but said he disagreed with the party’s decision. The rest is history.
But before the axing of Zuma from Mahlamba Ndlopfu – Ramaphosa ruthlessly got rid of the Eskom board – showing the country who was in charge.
He announced a new board at Eskom as part of an intervention that he said would restore Eskom as an important contributor to the economy.
The late Jabu Mabuza was appointed as chairperson. His success as chairperson of telecommunications giant Telkom seemed to be an inspired appointment. But Eskom is no Telkom, as Mabuza and his board would soon learn.
The rest of the board comprised former MTN boss Sifiso Dabengwa, former Prasa CFO Sindi Mabaso-Koyana and founder of retail group Massmart Mark Lamberti.
Associate professor of commercial law Tshepo Mongalo and health ombudsman Professor Malegapuru Makgoba were also appointed to the board, as were COO of Business Leadership Busisiwe Mavuso, former director-general of the department of energy Nelisiwe Magubane, businessman George Sebulela, nuclear scientist Pulane Molokwane and erstwhile regulator member of Petroleum at Nersa Rod Crompton.
Today, Crompton is the only surviving member of the “new dawn” board.
The board was dogged by accusations that it lacked technical skills to deal with the challenges facing Eskom, which has struggled to keep the lights on since 2007.
Ramaphosa directed the new board to appoint a permanent CEO and CFO within three months.
The board obliged, hiring banker Phakamani Hadebe as the utility’s CEO. He would resign from the position just a year later, citing poor health and the difficult circumstances of the job. He was replaced by current CEO André de Ruyter.
His appointment was met with skepticism due to his performance at the helm at Nampak and to date, he has done little to allay fears he was a bad appointment.
The “new dawn” board was also directed to immediately remove all Eskom executives who were facing allegations of corruption and other acts of |impropriety, including Matshela Koko and Anoj Singh.
It duly obliged.
Now with just two months until the ANC’s elective conference, Ramaphosa’s administration has appointed a new Eskom board full of engineers the previous board was accused of being short of. For Ramaphosa, it’s a case of déjà vu. For South Africans, it’s a case of a wasted five years, literally the darkest period in recent history.
These are the president’s engineers:
- Dr Busisiwe Vilakazi.
Vilakazi has a DPhil in engineering science from the University of Oxford and is also head of research and innovation at government information technology agency SITA.
- Clive le Roux
Le Roux is a former Eskom chief nuclear officer and who also previously served as power station manager at Matimba and Koeberg.
- Mteto Nyati
Nyati holds a BSc in mechanical engineering from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
- Lwazi Goqwana,
Goqwana has an honours degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Cape Town and a MBA in strategic general management from Milpark Business School.
- Dr Tsakani Mthombeni
Mthombeni has a PhD in electrical engineering and is a past chairperson of the Energy Intensive Users Group.
The 13-member board will be led by Mpho Makwana. He is no stranger to Eskom, having previously served as both CEO and chairman.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
Sunday World
