AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

VETERANS LEAGUE NATIONAL TASK TEAM

Chief Albert Luthuli House
54 Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Street, Johannesburg, 2001 RSA
P.O. Box 61884, Marshalltown, 2107
Telephone: +27 11 376 1000. Website: www.anc.org.za

23 February 2023

Resignation of Andre du Ruyter as Group CEO of Eskom

ANC Veterans League Press Statement

The immediate resignation of the Group CEO of Eskom, Andre du Ruyter, is not something to
be welcomed or celebrated. It is a further reflection of the sad status of state-owned entities,
the challenges of corruption and poor governance facing Eskom, and the impossible pressures
that senior leadership in our country are subjected to.

Andre du Ruyter has not kept it a secret that there is serious corruption and criminal activity
at Eskom and that this has hampered his efforts to turn Eskom around and limit load shedding.
It is public knowledge that he and his institution have reported such – from the provision of
fuel oil and contracting of coal to the procurement of knee guards – to the Hawks and the
SAPS. Eskom, under his watch, have further gone to court to retrieve ill-gotten gains from
certain private companies.

Nevertheless, is it not befitting a senior official of a state owned entity to make the kind of
public utterances that du Ruyter did to a news agency. As a prescribed officer of the state, he
had a legal obligation in terms of Section 34 of the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt
Activities (PRECCCA) to report to the Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigation (PDCI) –
better known as the Hawks. He may or may not have done so, we do not know. However
now that he has resigned, he is a whistle blower.

The Veteran’s League calls upon him to put his allegations to the appropriate forums for
investigation and calls upon the President to afford him the protection of a whistle blower,
bearing in mind that our legislative whistleblowing protections are weak.

Managing systemic corruption in government institutions is a challenge that faces all public
servants and there is sufficient evidence from court cases, whistle blowers and the Zondo
Commission, that some ANC members and structures have inappropriately and illegally been
behind such. This has been a blight on the name of the ANC as the President of the ANC, Cyril
Ramaphosa, has admitted.

Convenor: Dr Snuki Zikalala, Deputy Convenor: Mavuso Msimang, Co-ordinator: Natso Kumalo, Deputy Co-ordinator:
Susan Shabangu, Fundraiser: Ismail Moosa
Whether or not the allegations of du Ruyter are true, we should use this incident to once
more reflect on what can be done to address corruption, crime and poor service delivery in
our state institutions. The position of the Veteran’s League is that this is precisely what the
ANC should do to regain credibility and public support.

In the Budget Speech of Minister Enoch Godongwana on 22 February 2022, Eskom has been
given an opportunity by National Treasury for debt relief, subject to a number of conditions,
the results of which can relieve us of loadshedding and a provide a more sustainable and
climate friendly way forward. However, the threats to Eskom’s integrity, that du Ruyter has
been highlighting since he came into office, remain. The baton now shifts to the remaining
Eskom leadership, Board and incoming Group CEO supported by the shareholder to address
these challenges. They dare not fail.

Ends.

Issued on behalf of the National Task Team of the ANC Veterans League by:
Dr Snuki Zikalala
Convenor
Mobile number: 0825619300