Eskom chief financial officer Calib Cassim has been appointed as interim CEO following the abrupt departure of André de Ruyter, the power utility announced on Friday morning. 

De Ruyter was initially set to leave Eskom at the end of March, but late on Tuesday night, it was announced that he was out with immediate effect. This followed an explosive interview in which De Ruyter said a "senior politician" was involved in corruption at Eskom.

Cassim has been with Eskom since 2001, and was a former head of the utility's regulation department. He became chief financial officer in 2018, replacing Anoj Singh. Singh, formerly a Transnet executive, is currently out on bail following charges of corruption during his time at the rail company.

A chartered accountant, Cassim completed his BCom at the University of Natal and his honours at Unisa.

Eskom's chief operating officer, Jan Oberholzer, retires in April after five years in the job. Earlier this month, the Eskom board said it plans to scrap the COO position.