EFF statement on nonsensical remarks by Eskom board member Mteto Nyati
30 October 2022
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) condemns the contemptible, misdirected and nonsensical remarks by Eskom Board member Mteto Nyati that to save Eskom, we must do away with localisation, black empowerment, and affirmative action. Such comments from someone who has received special treatment from the establishment are a vindication that the newly appointed board of Eskom does not have the interests of South Africa and black people in mind.
The remarks made by Nyati expose his poor understanding of the role of procurement in localisation, building industries and creating sustainable jobs. The idea that procurement of goods through current legislation seeks to create a layer of middleman is not only misguided but demonstrates that people like Nyati are entrusted to run large and complex institutions because it is known that they will be obedient puppets and fronts for neo-colonial institutions and an economy that seeks to benefit former colonisers.
The current procurement legislation that deals with localisation seeks to stimulate local industries and encourage the manufacturing of goods that otherwise would be imported from Europe and America. Instead, Nyati and the current thoughtless ANC have failed to utilise rocurement budgets since 1994 to build sustainable industries and have watched industries such as textiles and armaments collapse because of cheap imports.
The EFF maintains that solutions to fix South Africa's electricity crisis are dependent on Eskom focusing on its primary mandate, which is to generate dependable and affordable electricity.
Cleary Nyati must have drunk Andre du Ruyter's Kool-Aid if he is willing to show such unquestioning obedience to Eskom's current management's folly, incompetence, and corruption. If he believes that localisation, industrialisation, and black empowerment are synonymous with dysfunctionality, incompetence, and the failure of Eskom, he is clearly an unsalvageable puppet of the establishment white capitalist, whose entire wealth is based on the exploitation of the working class and black people.
We call on all people of South Africa in civil society, trade unions, think-tanks and political parties to continue with the fight to protect Eskom and the privatisation of electricity generation.
We must tirelessly call out puppets of white monopoly capital who masquerade as competent strategists when all they do is to be obedient to white incompetent and uneducated runners.
If Eskom management was appointed based on who was the best person for the job, De Ruyter and Jan Oberholzer should have been fired a long time ago. The idea that you can suspend power station managers for incompetence and poor performance while the CEO and COO are still in their job is foolish and racist and is aided by people like Nyati.
Issued by Sinawo Thambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 31 October 2022
