Just after his teell-all interview with Annika Larsen this week, Eskom has announced that outgoing CEO Andre De Ruyter will step down from his role with immediate effect.
De Ruyter has curtailed his resignation as he was expected to leave the struggling power utility at the end of March, but he has decided to leave at the end of this month.
Eskom has announced that its CEO is leaving the state-owned power utility with immediate effect – over a month early and this was confirmed in a statement on Wednesday.
“Following the convening of a special board meeting on 22 February 2023, the Eskom board and Group Chief Executive (GCE) Andrè de Ruyter have reached mutual agreement to curtail his notice period to 28 February 2023,” it said.
“The board further resolved that De Ruyter will not be required to serve the balance of his notice period but that he will be released from his position with immediate effect.”
De Ruyter resigned from the struggling parastatal in December last year after three years at the helm. His last day was set to be 31 March 2023, according to board chair Mpho Makwana’s statement at the time as also reported by BusinessTech Africa.
He resigned shortly after Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said the power utility was attempting to overthrow the government by failing to end load shedding.
In an interview with eTV this week, De Ruyter lashed out at the ruling party saying it sues Easkom to make money and rich themselves.
“I expressed my concern to a senior government minister about attempts – in my view – to water down governance around the $8.5 billion US dollars that, by and large through Eskom intervention, we got at COP26,” he said.
“The response was essentially, ‘you know, you have to be pragmatic – in order to pursue the greater good, you have to enable some people to eat a little bit’. So yes, I think it [corruption] is entrenched.”
The underfire CEO also criticised the Department of Public Enterprises having direct control of Eskom, the criminality laying siege to the power utility, and the “vociferous opposition to the Just Energy Transition”.
In his State of the Nation address earlier the month, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the energy department is to now oversee Eskom but on Wednesday Eskom said acting GCE arrangements are being finalised with the shareholder minister and will be communicated shortly.
