The Citizen writes that with growing calls for Eskom chief executive André de Ruyter to step down, the debate has shifted from whether he should get the boot, to whether he’s done his best, or if he has been Eskom’s worst nightmare.
With the new Eskom board expected to undertake a full assessment of the efficiency of managers and operators at the power utility, it seems experts have agreed that it is time for De Ruyter to go, regardless of his qualifications, experience, or capability to fix the crisis. A tweet from energy analyst Prof Anton Eberhard read: “I’ll be surprised if CEO De Ruyter does not depart Eskom soon. It’s] an impossible job: misaligned board, suspicious minister who contacts his management directly, spied on by the state, inadequate police action vs corruption.” Another energy analyst, Ted Blom, said De Ruyter should have left a long time ago. “He is not qualified or experienced enough to pull Eskom out of this mess. I said this a long time ago; I told everyone that he was not fit to run Eskom because he doesn’t have experience and also doesn’t have a strategy for the utility. He’s not a turnaround person and doesn’t have a clue on how to turn around an organisation. He also lacks human relation skills.” But, political analyst Piet Croucamp insisted people who wanted De Ruyter out did not understand how complicated the situation was at Eskom. “There is nothing to say that hasn’t been said. The power stations are old and outdated; the staff were not skilled enough because it’s a difficult turnaround process with people who [have] a vested interest in corruption and the bad management of the utility,” he pointed out.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Reitumetse Makwea at The Citizen
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