Eskom head received R22,775 million when he resigned and left a mess behind
Eskom's previous chief executive officer, Mr. Brian Dames, who resigned on 31 March 2014, received R22,775 million in compensation for the year in which he resigned. A payment of R5,007 million was paid just for the ending of his contract.
He received a back-pay of R1,9 million and a long term incentive of R1,928 million. These payments were revealed by the minister of Public Enterprises, Ms. Lynne Brown, in a reply to a question of Dr. Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus MP in Parliament.
"Brian Dames should repay these additional payments as the lack of performance had taken place under his supervision and direction. Due to his poor management taxpayers must pay extra for the completion of the Medupi and Kusile power plants and now also have to suffer the inconvenience of load-shedding. The minister should also explain why he was paid R5 million, merely because he had resigned.
The annual salary of the CEO of Eskom amounts to R15,367 million and with such a salary the CEO should be an excellent manager. Eskom is an extremely strategic entity and poor management has negative consequences for the economy of South Africa, as we are experiencing at present.
It is becoming a disease in South Africa that government fills top positions, which pays huge salaries, with mediocrity and not with excellence, while taxpayers have to foot the bill," Dr. Pieter Groenewald (MP), the chief spokesperson on Public Enterprises for the Freedom Front Plus says.