Eskom to appoint new CEO soon: Shortlist down to five names

Eskom board chairperson Mpho Makwana announced that the struggling parastatal was closing in on its decision on who to appoint as the new CEO that will take over after the previous one – Andre de Ruyter – had left abruptly.

Makwana was speaking at the National Demand Side Management Indaba. He said they already have a short list with the five final candidates.

ALSO READ: ‘We will meet in court’: ANC slams ‘right-wing’ De Ruyter for shifting blame over Eskom

Following De Ruyter’s departure – after making damning claim during an interview with local broadcaster eNCA – Calib Cassim was appointed as the interim CEO. It has not been confirmed yet whether Cassim was one of the five candidates shortlisted.

De Ruyter resigned in December last year, shortly after it was reported that he was poisoned with an attempt on his life. He survived the poisoning but had since chosen to part ways with the utility company.

He had been serving his one-month notice period when he appeared in an interview with the news channel.

During the interview, De Ruyter claimed that R1 billion was being looted from Eskom on a monthly basis and called the power utility ‘an ANC feeding trough’.

He had mentioned that a certain ANC minister was instrumental in such illicit activities. However, he did not name the minister.

Dismissed with immediate effect

De Ruyter, who was scheduled to leave Eskom at the end of March, was dismissed with immediate effect following the interview.

The ANC, thereafter, gave De Ruyter seven days to report his allegations of corruption, saying that if he failed to do so, they would proceed with criminal charges against him.

ALSO READ: SIU to speak to De Ruyter about his Eskom mafia claims, shocked he didn’t mention it before

De Ruyter also alleged that mafia-like cartels were operating at the power utility in Mpumalanga. As such, he was to be summoned by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to provide details regarding this.