Eskom cannot pay reward to whistleblower, says de Ruyter

Having penned an open letter to Eskom on Saturday, Bianca Goodson has suffered a blow after the power utility informed her that it could not compensate her for act of whistleblowing.

Goodson – a former CEO of Gupta-linked Trillian Management Consulting – is one of the people who exposed irregularities in Eskom’s contract with McKinsey & Co.

In the letter, she said life has not been easy for her and other whistleblowers since, and suggested compensation for them, as their livelihoods have been stripped away.

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has responded to the letter, explaining why the power utility could not reward Goodson for her “great act of patriotism”.

“You made a very substantial contribution to the successful recovery of Eskom funds that were unlawfully paid out during the height of state capture, for which we are deeply grateful.

“As you may be aware, state capture plagued various public entities. This has led to the establishment of the state capture commission where a number of whistleblowers have come forward with pertinent information, as you have.

“The proposal you present is the first of its kind, and while there are precedents in US law, there is unfortunately no provision in South African law for whistleblower compensation.

“As the law stands, and having regard to Eskom’s duty to act in accordance with applicable legislation, we unfortunately cannot pay you a reward or similar for the information which you disclosed,” the Eskom CEO said in the statement.

De Ruyter further invited Goodson to speak to Eskom senior executives and managers about her experience as a whistleblower, for which she would receive a speaker’s fee.

“I am, however, reliably informed that you are contemplating the creation of an advisory service to large corporations to share your experience as a whistleblower, and to also enhance the effectiveness of whistleblowing as an invaluable aid to encouraging whistleblowers to act with the courage and conviction that you have displayed.

“As Eskom was pivotal to your own act of whistleblowing, itself a great act of patriotism, it would be a great honour for us to invite you to address a group of our senior executives and managers, both for us to learn from your experience, but also to act as a potential launching pad for your venture, should you wish to proceed with it.

“As is customary with such invitations, there will a modest speaker’s fee associated with this event,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sygnia Asset Management CEO Magda Wierzycka has offered Goodson a position at the company.

Speaking with Bruce Whitfield on CapeTalk 567AM, Wierzycka describe Goodson as a “hero”.

“Bianca is immensely qualified… she’s a South African hero! I don’t want to use the word whistle blower. I prefer the word hero.

“People need to know they are safe and protected when they step up,” she said.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.