Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter. Photo: Gallo Images
Crumbling state-owned parastatal Eskom has told The Citizen that its former CEO, André de Ruyter, would be the “best person” to clarify details surrounding a privately funded investigation into corruption at the utility.
This comes after Eskom’s board chairman, Mpho Makwana, revealed that De Ruyter may have funded a private investigation team to probe corruption at Eskom.
In the interview with Newzroom Afrika, Makwana said De Ruyter must share the details of the investigation.
“He needs to take the South African public into his confidence, in terms of firstly who funded it because we are talking of millions of funding.
“He needs to share the outcome of that investigation with law enforcement agencies,” Makwana said.
When asked to comment on Makwana’s revelations, Eskom referred The Citizen to De Ruyter and the investigation team.
It’s unclear which private investigating company is probing the corruption at Eskom.
“This investigation was privately funded as mentioned by the Chairman of the Eskom Board. Therefore, the best placed person to answer your questions is Mr André de Ruyter or the said private investigations firm,” Eskom said in an email.
Meanwhile, De Ruyter has since “gone to ground” in the aftermath of his explosive interview with e.tv’s Annika Larsen, according to News24, and has not spoken publicly since he was asked by the Eskom board to leave the utility immediately after the interview was aired.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Eskom a ‘feeding trough’ for ANC – De Ruyter
On Wednesday, the ANC threatened to “smoke out” De Ruyter, who the party claims went into hiding after publicly accusing ANC ministers of corruption and political interference at the power utility.
“He has gone underground. That bravery we saw on television about claims that the ANC is corrupt, we do not see it any longer in terms of the response,” said ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula.
“We will trace him, find him and smoke him out wherever he is because we are not going to allow anyone to say the ANC is corrupt.”
During the controversial interview, De Ruyter told Larsen he believed “those in the ANC see Eskom as a feeding trough”.
“I would say the evidence suggests that it is. I expressed my concerns to a senior government minister about attempts in my view to water down governance around the $8.5 billion that by large through Eskom’s intervention we got at Cop26.”
“And the response was essentially you have to be pragmatic. In order to pursue the greater good, you have to enable some people to eat a little bit. So, yes, it is – I think – entrenched,” De Ruyter said.
Additional reporting by Lunga Mzangwe
ALSO READ: ANC vows to ‘trace De Ruyter, find him and smoke him out wherever he is’
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