Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan. Picture: Gallo Images / Jeffrey Abrahams
Public Enterprise Minister Pravin Gordhan has hit back at former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter for failing to prioritise ending load shedding.
Gordhan appeared before Parliament’s Standing Committee of Public Accounts (Scopa) on Wednesday to respond to De Ruyter’s claims of corruption and crime at Eskom, among other allegations.
The minister had initially been scheduled to brief Scopa earlier this month, but the date clashed with his pre-planned visit to China.
Delivering his opening remarks before answering questions from MPs, Gordhan claimed that the ANC was under attack in light of the negative publicity as a result of De Ruyter’s interview with eNCA, where the former Eskom boss alleged that a senior government official was involved in corruption and the power utility was “a feeding trough” for the ruling party.
“There’s a lot going out in the public domain where fake political narratives, character assassinations and all sort of things are being said about individuals or organisations and that element of the context should not be forgotten.
“From the little I heard while I have been away about some of the proceedings here, clearly it is also the governing party that is under attack and of course it suits the purpose of electioneering to be in that mode,” the minister told Scopa.
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Gordhan said there was nothing new to the discourse about corruption at Eskom.
“The impression has been created that it’s only in the last few weeks that South Africans discovered that corruption is rife in institutions like Eskom [but] corruption has been around for a long time, some elements has been dealt with, other elements still have to be dealt with,” he said.
The minister said he was of the view that corruption was not going to be “eliminated or minimised” by engaging in politicking, adding that it was clear that there were “good people” at Eskom and some just want to make “a quick buck”.
Gordhan denied De Ruyter’s assertion that he made it difficult for the former Eskom boss to carry out his duties by constantly interfering in the day-to-day-operations of the power utility, saying he was an “engaged and vigilant” shareholder and “certainly not a passive one”.
“It is important that what has to be done in order to mitigate load shedding must be done without necessarily micromanaging, but rather acting as a facilitator to get these things done.
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“So one would suggest very emphatically that there was no micromanaging as far as I am concerned. Eskom, of course, doesn’t operate as an island… It is a key element in a complex ecosystem. In plain terms, there was no interference with the work of the CEO or any senior managers,” he continued.
The minister then took a swipe at De Ruyter: “If that is the excuse in books or interviews for the lack of performance, then it is a pitiful excuse to be utilised.”
Gordhan also dismissed the allegation made by former Eskom interim board chairperson Malegapuru Makgoba that he approved the R50 million private intelligence investigation that De Ruyter initiated.
“I refute what professor Makgoba is saying. With great respect to him, he has got it absolutely wrong.”
He explained that when he was sent a picture of crucial cable for a station that was cut as a part of sabotage, he asked if there was a way to get more information on it.
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“That is information about a specific incident that took place. It is not about going around to do the job of the South African intelligence services. So in that sense Makgoba is misleading and misinforming Scopa and the public as well.
The minister said De Ruyter did not discuss the private investigation with him at any given point.
“He merely in passing… said I am doing this because the law enforcement guys are not coming to the party and I’m not using Eskom money, I’m raising the money privately and I told the chair about it.”
Gordhan insisted that he was told about it six months later.
“Today, we discover that the project actually started in January 2022 and the interaction I’m talking about happened sometime late in June or July.
“He was operating on his own free will.”
The minister further said it was clear that the business sector provided funding for the investigation.
“I also had no knowledge of the fact that the BLSA [Business Leadership South Africa] was funding this project until it was publicly disclosed in recent weeks.”
He added no reports were given to the Eskom board.
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