Eskom ‘saboteurs are known’ and so is their purpose, says expert

Eskom is dealing with significant criminal syndicates, making managing the power utility impossible, chief executive André de Ruyter revealed on Monday – the same syndicates causing political mayhem in the country, an expert claims.

“It is quite clear we know them. Even if we do not mention names,” said political analyst Andre Duvenage.

“This is sabotage. This is not a calculated guess or excuse. We know De Ruyter, we know his background and we know about groups trying to get rid of him.

“Groups and individuals related to the so-called Radical Economic Transformation (RET) group may be part of this,” Duvenage said.

De Ruyter stated in November that Eskom was being sabotaged.

At the time, he said he couldn’t speculate on whether the sabotage was being carried out to discredit him and his team and make it harder for them to solve Eskom’s challenges.

Unfortunately, there have been no arrests for this sabotage to date.

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“Those matters that were reported and concluded by the Hawks 2018-2021 didn’t pinpoint specific individuals hence no prosecutions,” Karen Pillay, acting group head of security, said last week.

Other matters are still under investigation by the Hawks.

Then there are the state capture findings which further exposed how Eskom’s capture turned the lights off.

The estimated cost of state capture to the country varies between R250 billion (as per former finance minister Pravin Gordhan in 2017) to R500 billion (President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2021).

Ramaphosa told investors the true cost might never be known.

Duvenage said there was more than a possibility there was sabotage within Eskom and there was no doubt the criminal syndicate at work could be related to current or previous management there.

Duvenage said this was sabotage with purpose and a political connection.

He said it was interesting how they were “hot” on Ramaphosa when electoral processes were going on within the ANC.

“If I was an intelligence officer of the state, I would investigate this to the bottom because it is clear something more is going on. De Ruyter would not make such claims if there was not strong evidence,” he said.

Duvenage explained that it was important to find out what the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) could do because De Ruyter could not manage in an environment of lawlessness.

“This is where criminal syndicates were dominant and undermined the legal processes and the constitutional state,” he said.

Duvenage added that it was clear it was the same people behind the uprisings in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng and included those who would not benefit if there was follow through on the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.

“Groups and individuals related to the so-called ANC radical economic transformation group may be part of this,” he said.

“We should look at those implicated in the report and it is quite clear we know them. Even if we do not mention names, but a follow-up would lead in that direction.”

Electricity and cable theft were among the many problems contributing to the downfall of Eskom. Eskom revealed a week ago it had lost R2 billion to cable theft per year.

Political analyst Levy Ndou said if people were destroying infrastructure, they should employ security to guard the infrastructure.

He said if Eskom suspected an act of sabotage, they should do something about it.

Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said: “When a crime is discovered Eskom lays charges with the police and hands over what evidence it has.”