Eskom chairperson Zola Tsotsi said, “To ensure that this process is as transparent and uninhibited as possible, the board has also resolved that four of its senior executives, including the chief executive, should step down for the duration of this enquiry.”
The other executives who have been asked to step down while the enquiry is underway are finance director Tsholofelo Molefe, Dan Marokane of group capital and Matshela Koko of commercial and technology.
In a statement from the power entity’s board, it explained that it rd sought an independent view on the status of, among other things:
- The poor performance of generation plan
- Delays in bringing the new generation plant on-stream
- High costs of primary energy
- Cash flow challenges
One of the current non-executive board members, Zethembe Khoza, has been asked to assume the position of interim chief executive. Khoza will be supported by Nonkululeko Veleti of finance, Abram Masango of group capital and Edwin Mabelane of commercial and technology.
“All these senior executives have been with the organisation a long time and we are confident that they will maintain business continuity during this period,” said Tsotsi.
The board also resolved that the independent enquiry be conducted by external parties, who will be selected within the next week. They will be given unfettered rights of access to all information deemed necessary for this probe to be successful.
The board has emphasised that this process is a critical step towards ensuring that the situation facing Eskom improves as expeditiously as possible.
“To that end, we would like to assure our customers and employees that this was done in the best interest of all our stakeholders, and we hope to come out of this with a better grasp of all the challenges facing the business, and most importantly, with solutions,” said Tsotsi.
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