Solidarity issued a statement on Tuesday saying that it had learnt with dismay of Jan Oberholzer’s departure from Eskom after years of selfless service in extremely difficult conditions.

The trade union indicated: “As former chief operating officer Oberholzer’s tenure of 30 years came to an end in April this year. However, he has since agreed to make an ongoing contribution to the organisation as a consultant, and he would have overseen projects at Koeberg and Kusile in the near future. Unexpectedly, this two-year consultation period will now, at the end of July, be terminated early.” Solidarity’s chief executive, Dr Dirk Hermann, expressed regret at the news of Oberholzer’s sudden departure and said: "Jan Oberholzer is a modern-day hero and someone whose role will still be appreciated throughout history." Oberholzer’s time at the power utility was characterised by constant major challenges. According to Hermann, Oberholzer’s memories of the Eskom of earlier years will be much different to those of later years, but his contribution in later years was equally important. "It was his work that kept Eskom going through dark times. His actions possibly also won time for the private sector to enter power generation in the country," Hermann said.

• Read Solidarity’s press statement on this matter at Solidarity News
• Lees ook, Oberholzer help Eskom deur donker tye ‘staande bly’, by Maroela Media

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