Eskom has compiled a shortlist consisting of five candidates to take on the role as CEO of the embattled utility.

Delivering a keynote address at the National Demand Side Management Indaba in Johannesburg on Monday, Eskom board chairperson Mpho Makwana said the utility is progressing in its search for a new CEO.

"We've been quite advanced in the shortlisting process for the next new chief executive of Eskom, such that we now have a small shortlist of five candidates," Makwana said, noting that he would attend a meeting later on Monday related to the appointment.

Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter departed from his post earlier than anticipated.

De Ruyter joined the utility in late 2019 and resigned in December last year, after he claimed to be poisoned in the Eskom office. De Ruyter was supposed to stay on until April, but left the utility abruptly in February. This followed an explosive interview, in which De Ruyter accused a "senior politician" of being involved in corruption at Eskom.

After 30 years of service at the utility, Eskom Chief Operating Officer Jan Oberholzer will also leave the company when he retires this month.

Also addressing Monday's Indaba, Eskom interim CEO Calib Cassim said the key objective now is to stop load shedding as quickly as possible, and "in a way that we don’t compromise the integrity of the grid".

Makwana said Eskom was working to reach a 65% Energy Availability Factor (EAF) – a key measure of plant performance – by the end of March next year.

Cassim said the utility had become associated with only two words: load shedding and corruption.

It is important for the public to start supporting the 40 000 staff at Eskom who get up to do their jobs every day amid the relentless negative publicity.

"Yes, hold us accountable, we will do that. But I think the support is also required," Cassim said.

Eskom started with wage negotiations last week, with its biggest union the National Union of Metalworkers (NUM) demanding a pay hike of 15% as well as the reinstatement of performance bonuses and a R7 000 housing allowance.