‘Mutual agreement’: Jan Oberholzer resigns from Eskom

Former Eskom chief operating officer (COO) Jan Oberholzer has resigned from the power utility.

Oberholzer, who retired on 30 April 2023, had signed a contract at Eskom, but not in his capacity of COO, which carried the responsibility of overseeing all Eskom’s operations within generation, transmission and distribution.

Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said the decision to part ways was a mutual agreement between the power utility and Oberholzer.

Last day

Mokwena said Oberholzer’s last day will be 31 July 2023.

“Mr Oberholzer was on a fixed-term contract to provide support to the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station long-term operation (LTO) and Kusile Power Station projects. Eskom expresses gratitude to Mr Jan Oberholzer for his dedicated service, expertise and valuable contributions during his tenure. We wish him well in his future endeavours.”

Oberholzer, who worked for the utility for 30 years, became Eskom’s first chief operating officer in 2018.

ALSO READ: Eskom reduces load shedding, but warns about this weekend

Load shedding

In an interview with Biznews founder Alec Hogg in July 2023, Oberholzer warned that South Africa still lacks a comprehensive plan to prevent load shedding.

“South Africa’s failure to develop a plan to avoid future load shedding is concerning. It’s essential for policymakers to have a crystal ball, to accurately predict demand in the short-term and long-term, from the next three months to 50 years ahead.

“Understanding the future demand profile and how technological innovations will shape industries is crucial for planning. Without a clear understanding of future needs, it’s impossible to determine the necessary infrastructure requirements,” Oberholzer said.

André de Ruyter

Oberholzer’s exit from Eskom follows the departure of former CEO André de Ruyter.

De Ruyter officially resigned as the Eskom CEO on 14 December 2022.

Before his resignation, there were repeated calls for Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan to fire De Ruyter.

The Eskom CEO came under increased pressure to reduce the exacerbated load shedding.

ALSO READ: André de Ruyter leaves Eskom with immediate effect