By Natasha Archary
Andre de Ruyter’s resignation as CEO of Eskom may not be the end of the turmoil at the power utility.
While most South Africans and politicians have welcomed de Ruyter’s long overdue resignation, concerns over who will replace him and effectively deliver the country’s power plan have been brought to the fore.
De Ruyter’s resignation on Wednesday, 14 December didn’t come as a surprise to most, with the country experiencing the worst loadshedding in history during 2022.
In a statement, Eskom confirmed that de Ruyter will see out his role as Group CEO until the end of March 2023. This in order to ensure that there is sufficient time to find a successor.
“It has been an honour and privilege to serve Eskom and South Africa. I wish all the hard working people of Eskom well.”
Andre de Ruyter resigns as Eskom CEO
#Eskom #MediaStatement
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) December 14, 2022
Resignation of Eskom Group Chief Executive pic.twitter.com/vDmm106OAy
Reports suggest that de Ruyter was forced to resign after Gwede Mantashe publicly slamming both him and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan.
The Mineral Resources and Energy Minister accused Eskom of “actively agitating for the overthrow of the state.”
Mantashe said that six months should have been sufficient to fix the endless operational issues at the embattled power utility.
De Ruyter assumed the role in 2019 and has been blamed for the rolling blackouts that have worsened during his tenure.
With the country currently at Stage 5 loadshedding for the past 4 weeks, experts say the unstable grid could push South Africa into a total blackout with a system collapse imminent.
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