Jury out on De Ruyter’s exit

Eskom chief executive – it’s a job you wouldn’t even wish on your enemy. Crippling debt, outdated power stations, a poorly performing coal fleet, consistent breakdowns resulting in continued load shedding and trying to stay afloat when there is sabotage from within are just a few of the many headaches current CEO André de Ruyter faces on a daily basis.

What’s worse is that there seems to be no end in sight to the chaos, which is why many believe it is the right time for the Eskom boss to move on.

But the jury’s out, with some backing him to fix the power utility’s woes – asking is there anyone that is suited for this nightmare job – and some insisting he should never have been appointed in the first place, as he is unqualified for the position. He’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.

ALSO READ: De Ruyter ‘not qualified or experienced enough to pull Eskom out of this mess’

Prof Anton Eberhard says he’ll be “surprised if CEO De Ruyter does not depart Eskom soon”. He said: “[It’s] an impossible job; misaligned board, suspicious minister who contacts his management directly, spied on by the state, inadequate police action vs corruption.”

Who, in their right mind, would want this job? According to energy expert Ted Blom, De Ruyter is the wrong man to fix Eskom.

“I said this a long time ago; he was not fit to run Eskom because he doesn’t have experience. He’s not a turnaround person and doesn’t have a clue on how to turn around an organisation.” Eina.

For the time being, President Cyril Ramaphosa has endorsed the Eskom board and boss. Despite their failures, we should probably, too. Making a change now won’t make much of a difference.

ALSO READ: Firing De Ruyter now like booting the pilot while plane is crashing