DA blames ANC cadre deployment committee for Gordhan rejecting Eskom CEO recommendation

Eskom continues to be without a leader after Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, rejected recommendations from the power utility’s board to replace former CEO Andre de Ruyter. 

News24 reported the reason Gordhan rejected the board’s recommendation was it had only shortlisted one candidate instead of three. 

Gordhan’s spokesperson Ellis Mnyandu confirmed this and noted the shortlisting requirement was part of Eskom’s Memorandum of Incorporation.

ANC cadre deployment committee

DA MP Ghaleb Cachalia said sending the Eskom board back to the drawing board on the appointment of a new Eskom CEO created a “justifiable suspicion” the ANC cadre deployment committee was trying to hijack the process to appoint a cadre approved by Luthuli House.

READ MORE: De Ruyter could face legal action for ‘unauthorised’ Eskom probe – SIU

Cachalia said Gordhan was hiding behind Eskom’s Memorandum of Incorporation to justify his refusal to consider the recommendation made by the Eskom board. 

He said it would not be shocking if De Ruyter’s substitute was an ANC candidate. 

“Considering the ANC’s storied history of interference and corruption at Eskom, it will be hardly news if it turns out the ANC’s cadre deployment committee has decided to insert itself into the process to find a new CEO for Eskom. After all, this is the same party that deployed the likes of Matshela Koko and Bryan Molefe to the entity, only to leave it reeling under state capture and institutional collapse.”

SIU studying the report

De Ruyter left Eskom with immediate effect in February. Former Chief Financial Officer Calib Cassim, is the acting CEO.

Briefing MPs on the Parliament’s justice committee, the head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) Andy Mothibi said the unit was still studying an independent report into corruption at Eskom by De Ruyter.

ALSO SEE: Unsanctioned Eskom graft report gains cautious approval

Mothibi said the SIU and the Hawks were both going through the report.

“That report has information we are looking at so we can pursue the indicators in it. The Hawks is also hard at work to pursue the criminality pointed in that report,” he said. 

Previously, Hawks head Lt-General Godfrey Lebeya said he was committed to pursuing all information on Eskom.

Lebeya said evidence still needed to be gathered to link politicians and others mentioned in the report to the crimes at the power utility in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.