De Ruyter: The wrong person resigned

14 December 2022

The resignation of André de Ruyter will deepen the Eskom crisis and will not alleviate it. The wrong person resigned. 

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. 

Drastic political changes are called for. The current government and the ministers involved do not have the ability to bring about the political changes that are required. 

The following are critical changes that are needed:

All statutory restrictions that are limiting power generation both within and outside Eskom must be removed. 
There must be incentives for private power generators 
Skills as a criterion for appointment and promotion must be reintroduced without racial bias. 
Saboteurs and criminals must be prosecuted actively. 
New capacity needs to be created. 
Capacity must be created to undertake preventative maintenance. 

Almost all of these changes require political will. The government’s political is gone. The current political dispensation is the an obstacle for Eskom’s turnaround, and it is political heads that must roll.

Issued by Connie Mulder, Head: Solidarity Research Institute, 14 December 2022