DA to submit PAIA request for information on the “high-level politician” behind Eskom corruption

22 February 2023

Note to Editors: A voicenote from the DA Federal Leader John Steenhuisen is attached here. 

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is currently drawing up an urgent request to Eskom management in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA).

The purpose of this request is to obtain all information and evidence at Eskom’s disposal regarding the alleged ANC kingpin behind the systemic corruption that has brought our country’s electricity supply to its knees.

In a recent interview, outgoing Eskom CEO, André de Ruyter, confirmed that the ANC views Eskom as “a feeding trough.”

He added that he had “pointed out” to a cabinet minister “that there was one particular high-level politician that was involved in this.”

Instead of taking this explosive claim seriously, the minister in question apparently said “I guess it was inevitable that this would come out anyway,” indicating that the ANC is well aware of the person's identity.

De Ruyter went on to confirm that the “high-level politician” behind looting at Eskom is a sitting Member of Parliament.

In the interests of accountability, transparency and combating the ANC corruption that has caused the load-shedding crisis, the DA’s PAIA request will compel Eskom management to not only make public the name of the senior ANC politician concerned, but to hand over all information and evidence at their disposal regarding the ANC’s involvement in corruption at Eskom.

Unlike the current governing party, the DA takes these revelations extremely seriously and will use every means at our disposal to get to the bottom of the criminal ANC syndicate behind Eskom corruption.

Should this information be verified through our PAIA request, De Ruyter’s revelations will provide inconvertible proof that the ANC stands as accused number one for the collapse of the South African electricity system and the suffering this inflicts on the 60 million people of this country.

The DA calls on Eskom management to comply with our PAIA request so that the people of South Africa may finally know the full truth about the ANC puppet-masters behind the collapse of Eskom.

Issued by John Steenhuisen, Leader of the Democratic Alliance, 22 February 2023