COPE angered by high remuneration for underperforming Eskom executives

28 June 2011

Representative for the Congress of the People on the Energy portfolio committee, Phillip Dexter, today responded with anger at reports that Eskom executives had given themselves a 109% pay rise on average for the last financial year.

"Such high bonuses for executives doing the bare minimum, and in some instances, underperforming, is unacceptable to the majority of South Africans, who are having to bear the brunt of increasing energy costs. There is just simply no accountability in our State Owned Enterprises, and the high bonuses for these executives only further illustrates how out of touch government is with the people.

"Ask any executive at Eskom whether they can guarantee that there will be no further load shedding in the next year, and they will fudge the issue. Ask the same executive whether there will be an increase in electricity prices, and they will say 'yes'. These executives are not deserving of such remuneration."

Dexter went on to say that that the solution to our energy problem is to speed up the deregulation of the energy monopoly that Eskom holds over South African, and allow independent power producers to enter the market.

"Government must no longer be opaque about a green energy future. They have delayed and frustrated attempts to break the stranglehold that the coal lobby has over ordinary South Africans. Targets should be set for the entry of new players in the energy sector, and these must be wind and solar technologies."

Statement issued by COPE Head of Communications - Phillip Dexter, June 28 2011

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