De Ruyter falling off his high horse?

Many people were desperate to believe that André de Ruyter would be the white (in all senses) knight to put the demon of corruption at Eskom to flight … but that is looking naïve now.

The former CEO of the power utility first made the country sit up and take notice when, in an interview with eNCA, he claimed politicians were involved in the looting of Eskom. But, since then, the fuse on that potentially explosive claim has been sputtering.

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Then it emerged that De Ruyter – apparently not trusting our cops and intelligence services (which have served factional agendas in the past) – had commissioned a private investigation.

Carried out by a firm headed by former police commissioner George Fivaz – and funded by business interests – the probe was never declared to Eskom, nor was the report given to them.

Its content ended up being published in the Daily Maverick – although at least one other news organisation walked away from it because it was little more than gossip and, as Fivaz supposedly confirmed to investigative reporter Jacques Pauw, “speculation”.

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And parliament’s standing committee on public accounts heard this week that the Special Investigating Unit and The Hawks were no closer to discovering who the bent politicians are.

This is partly because De Ruyter has, on their version, been ducking and diving them. He, on his part, believes he has done what was required on him in reporting the allegations – and the names – to Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and presidential security advisor Sydney Mufamadi.

In the dust stirred up, the truth – and the identities of the possible guilty politicians – has become obscured and given the ANC the opportunity to cast doubt on De Ruyter’s credibility … and possibly even to throw out the baby of corruption with the De Ruyter bath water.

ALSO READ: Eskom corruption claims shake André de Ruyter’s credibility