Let De Ruyter do his job without Zuma-era ‘interference’ – Busa
The ANC, meanwhile, said in a statement the newly appointed Eskom CEO can count on the governing party's support.
Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter. Image credit: Nampak website
Bsiness Unity South Africa (Busa) has released a statement calling on government to let newly appointed Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter do his job “without interference”.
The country “cannot afford to lose another Eskom chief executive due to interference in its operations,” the statement said.
The statement brings up recent concerns expressed by members of the Eskom board that government was putting politics first and the sustainability of the struggling utility second.
“It is precisely this kind of interference under the Zuma administration which created the crisis at Eskom in the first place,” reads the statement.
The organisation has welcomed De Ruyter’s appointment, acknowledged the difficulty of his task and expressed the view that he’s up to the task.
He’s the “best person for this challenging position”, according to the statement.
Busa CEO Busisiwe Mavuso said: “He’s very much aware of what confronts the organisation in terms of challenges, and he is ready to hit the ground running and we have no doubt that he will do precisely that.”
The African National Congress (ANC) released a statement joining Busa and the Democratic Alliance (DA) in welcoming De Ruyter’s appointment, which has faced harsh criticism from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), who called it “racist” and “anti-transformation”.
READ MORE: DA calls on De Ruyter to ‘remain independent’ as Eskom CEO
“The ANC has consistently viewed the challenges confronting ESKOM as a national crisis.
“Acknowledging the fiscal and economic threat that this poses, the view of the ANC has always been that fixing ESKOM should be an apex priority. For the ANC, stabilising Eskom is one of the most urgent and pressing priorities the economy faces.
“With Mr De Ruyter’s appointment, we are now called upon as South Africans to come together and play our part in rebuilding Eskom as part of growing the South Africa we want.
“The ANC calls on the board, management, staff and stakeholders and customers of Eskom to approach this development as a new departure for this important state-owned enterprise.
“The responsibility accepted by Mr De Ruyter is one that must be shared by all South Africans, whose wellbeing depends on the wellbeing of the energy utility.
“While events of the past have justified public criticism of and cynicism about Eskom, the task of rebuilding and renewal must now begin with urgency and with unity,” says the statement.
The party “commends” Eskom’s board for the process that led to De Ruyter’s appointment and wished the new CEO well, saying he can count on the governing party’s support.
“The ANC is confident that the appointment of the new CEO will strengthen its capacity to deliver reliable energy to South Africans.
“No economy can grow and thrive without reliable energy. Accordingly, the ANC urges management and the board to pay focused attention on improving governance and efficiency in the organisation,” the statement concludes.
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