African National Congress (ANC) leaders from KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Limpopo on Thursday collectively agreed that power utility Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter should be fired for what they call “dismal performance”.

In a statement addressing the media ANC KZN provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo with his Limpopo counterpart Rueben Madadzhe said the recent rampant loadshedding which had destroyed the country’s economy and resulted in poor quality of life was something that must be ended as a matter of urgency.

This year Eskom has been struggling to keep the lights on, putting the economy under severe strain, as both small and established businesses are severely affected.

Eskom recently appointed a new board in an effort to address the ongoing power cuts.

The provinces said South Africa was endowed with coal deposits that should be used as a primary source of energy.

“We acknowledge the importance of alternative sources of energy, such as renewable energy, but we believe that we need to strike a balance in the interest of the country,” they said.

The provinces also expressed concern that high-quality coal is being exported to Europe and Asian countries whilst substandard coal is being deliberately used in Eskom coal-fired plants.