Photo: Neil McCartney / The Citizen
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has called for Eskom’s board of directors, including CEO Andre de Ruyter and Chief Operating Officer Jan Oberholzer, to be fired with immediate effect over the current load shedding crisis.
Eskom implemented stage 4 load shedding last week, but spiked the deliberate power cuts up to stage 6 citing several breakdown of generating units and a lack of generation capacity.
On Monday, Eskom downgraded load shedding to stage 5, but warned that load shedding would continue throughout the week.
The red berets said load shedding is a crisis affecting the country.
“The incompetence and arrogance of Eskom executives has plunged South Africa into a perpetual and unwarranted darkness that is killing businesses and livelihoods. The collapse of Eskom and the failure to prove dependable and consistent energy supply are meant to render the country’s electricity utility redundant and useless.”
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“We have consistently warned against the immoral and dishonest intention of handing over South Africa’s energy generation sovereignty to the greedy establishment that will influence all spheres of life, including the future of the country’s political future,” the EFF said.
The party said Eskom does not have a plan to keep the lights on.
“The lie perpetuated by Eskom’s incompetent executives and so-called energy analysts is that the country does not have enough renewable energy to provide electricity when there is mechanical breakdown and maintenance, and that Eskom is cash strapped. The reality is that the crisis facing Eskom is man-made.”
The party said it made a number of demands to Eskom during a in 2020.
“We made it clear that the inability of Eskom to supply dependable and consistent electricity to households and businesses is a threat to South Africa’s security and social stability and is killing the economy.”
“The EFF warned about the appointment of De Ruyter and Oberholzer, whose appointment was purely based on the colour of their skin because there was enough undisputable evidence that they did not have either the technical or executive experience to manage complex systems,” the EFF added.
The red berets sad De Ruyter has failed as the CEO of Eskom.
“Since his appointment, De Ruyter has shed more than 4 366 GWh in 2 years, more than the past 13 COEs appointed in the last 15 years. The government must immediately fire de Ruyter, together with Oberholzer and the Board, before the end of the day.”
“We call for the firing of the board, CEO, and COO, knowing very well that Cyril Ramaphosa’s cowardice will not allow him to take decisive steps.
“The EFF warns that failure to fire Eskom’s board, CEO and COO will require us to take more radical steps to ensure that competent, dependable, and fit people are in charge of Eskom to resolve the energy crisis and bring an end to blackouts that have become a permanent feature of our lives,” the EFF said.
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