Eskom is moving forward with finding its new CEO. The power utility has shortlisted five candidates for the full-time CEO position.
Eskom board chairman, Mpho Makwana said at the Demand Side Management Indaba on Monday, Eskom is getting closer to finding its CEO and they have shortlisted five candidates.
He said Eskom’s goal is to find a solution to the energy crisis and end load shedding. He went on to share that they will be a meeting later on Monday relating to the appointment.
“We’ve been quite advanced in the shortlisting process for the next group chief executive for Eskom. Such that we now already have a small shortlist of five candidates. There are meetings around that, that I have to get to,” he said.
Former Eskom CEO, André de Ruyter was supposed to leave Eskom end of March but left earlier than anticipated following his intense interview with ENCA. In that interview, Ruyter made compelling accusations against national government and African National Congress (ANC) of being involved in corruption happening at Eskom.
His position was soon filled by an interim CEO, Calib Cassim, Eskom’s former chief financial officer.
Cassim also spoke on Indaba Monday, he said the main goal is to end load shedding as quickly as possible “in a way that we don’t compromise the intergrity of the grid”. He went on say that Eskom has launched a national demand side management initiative which could save 1,500MW of energy for the grid.
Cassim said in his speech, “Eskom needs to focus on the supply in terms of our own plants, as well as getting the DMRE more capacity from an IPP [Independent Power Producers] perspective. But while we are looking at supply let’s not forget the importance of demand side management to close that gap in terms of that capacity shortfall.
“Eskom has launched its national demand management initiative. We are aiming to achieve a capacity from this initiative of just under 1,500MW…we think, and we know that the potential is much greater.
“At the end of the day, there’s only one objective for South Africa – stop load shedding as quickly as possible. But we need to do it in a way that ensures that we don’t compromise the integrity of the grid.”
He added that the power utility’s name has been tainted has it’s now associated with only two words: load shedding and corruption.
He went on to say that they would like support as much as they can be held accountable.
“Yes, hold us accountable, we will do that. But I think the support is also required,” Cassim said.
The chairman, Makwama said the utility is working to reach a 65% Energy Availability Factor (EAF) which is a key measure of plant performance.
