Eskom CEO Andre De Ruyter resigned from the state utility on Wednesday evening.
It has been reported that De Ruyter informed the Eskom board and board chairperson Mpho Makwana earlier in the week of his decision to leave the beleaguered state-owned entity.
Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) said that the resignation of De Ruyter is a “major blow for Eskom and the efforts to address the energy crisis”
The organisation said that while this is a blow, it is hardly surprising, given the irresponsible comments by some in the government and some other sectors.
“The Eskom Board must act with urgency to announce a replacement, even if on a temporary basis and the replacement must have the skills and capability to continue all efforts to reduce load shedding,” according to a BUSA statement.
It has been reported by News24 that Makwana may be forced to step into De Ruyter’s role as group chief executive.
It should be noted that this has not been confirmed by Makwana.
A CALL TO RESTRUCTURE ESKOM
BUSA has called for Eskom leadership to accelerate the restructuring of the entity and “tackle ongoing corruption and sabotage”.
Moreover BUSA is calling on Eskom to “work with business to diversify the energy generation and distribution environment, with the focus on cleaner energy”.
“Business remains committed to working with the government in this single biggest crisis, in the midst of a series of crises. We also urge President Ramaphosa to rise above the issues in the ANC and lead the country in urgently responding to this crisis. This exacerbates an already critical situation”, noted BUSA.
BUSINESS REPORT