Eskom group chief executive Andre de Ruyter has left his post with immediate effect after a special board meeting on Wednesday.
Eskom, the embattled power utility that has struggled to keep South Africa’s lights on, is now officially without a group chief executive.
Eskom announced in a statement late on Wednesday night that Andre de Ruyter would be vacating office with immediate effect.
The special board meeting resolved that De Ruyter would serve as GCEO until February 28, and not March 31 as initially planned, but he would not be required to serve the balance of his notice period.
“He will be released from his position with immediate effect,” Eskom said in a statement.
De Ruyter announced his resignation in December last year, but was due to stay on until the end of March.
“Following the convening of a special Board meeting on 22 February 2023, the Eskom Board and Group Chief Executive (GCE) Andrè de Ruyter have reached mutual agreement to curtail his notice period to 28 February 2023,” Eskom said in a media statement.
“The board further resolved that Mr de Ruyter will not be required to serve the balance of his notice period but that he will be released from his position with immediate effect.
“Acting GCE arrangements are being finalised with the shareholder Minister and will be communicated shortly,” Eskom said.
In an interview broadcast by eTV on Tuesday night, De Ruyter said there was rampant corruption which was being engineered by top politicians from the governing party, who are interfering at the ailing power utility.
De Ruyter made shocking revelations, saying undisclosed members of the governing party and government at the highest levels were aware of the corruption that is happening at Eskom and also that the utility serves as the ANC’s “feeding trough”.
De Ruyter said he was approached by a minister about a high-level politician who was involved in sinister and potentially criminal activities at the utility.
He also said that criminal syndicates in Mpumalanga were stealing around R1 billion a month from Eskom, and nothing much was being done about it.
Last year was officially South Africa’s worst year of rolling blackouts, and with the country still experiencing Stage 6 load shedding, the outlook does not look good.
There has been load shedding every day of 2023 so far.
During his State of the Nation Address on February 9, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that a state of disaster had been declared in light of South Africa’s energy crisis, and that a minister of electricity in the Presidency would be appointed.
The electricity minister has yet to be appointed, two weeks later.
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