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The appointment of a new Eskom Board with credibility, business acumen and experience provides OUTA with hope that this critical state-owned entity can be salvaged, however a lot has still to be done.

“We welcome the change in leadership and especially the inclusion of experienced business, finance and engineering leaders who will do far more to address the challenges faced by Eskom than any of their predecessors in the past decade,” says Wayne Duvenage, OUTA CEO.

“There are clear indications that the new board has been tasked to rearrange the operational management team and structures, thereby restoring much needed efficiency and cost cutting to prevent the Eskom ship from sinking.

“By replacing the Eskom board, Cyril Ramaphosa has fired another salvo into one of Jacob Zuma’s biggest corruption camps.”

The appointment of the new board and the resumption this week of the inquiry into Eskom by the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises signal the start of an entirely new energy and the renewal of Eskom. OUTA would like to see the new board conduct meetings with known whistleblowers and lost talent, so as to lure them back into the organisation.

“OUTA strongly objected to Matshela Koko’s reinstatement after a sham disciplinary hearing exonerated him. We believe the new board’s biggest challenge is not only to get rid of all those who are implicated in massive corruption but also to ensure that criminal charges are brought against them and the evidence in the Eskom files preserved to use against them,” says Duvenage. Those implicated include Koko, suspended CFO Anoj Singh, former CE Brian Molefe, former board chairman Ben Ngubane and former board member Mark Pamensky.

OUTA commends those brave Eskom managers who stood against corruption and wrote to Deputy President Ramaphosa to demand the removal of the corrupt management and board. This is the sort of action needed to rescue these captured entities.

Parliament’s inquiry into Eskom is due to resume and the scheduled appearance of Koko and Singh before the portfolio committee this week is expected to provide interesting insights.

OUTA hopes that these changes have come in time but all indications are that taking back Eskom will be a massive salvage job. The mess lies squarely at the feet of President Zuma, who ought to be removed from his post as soon as possible.

OUTA is a proudly South African non-profit civil action organisation, comprising of and supported by people who are passionate about holding government accountable and improving the prosperity of South Africa.

Issued by OUTA