Eskom’s CEO Andre de Ruyter notified board chairperson Mpho Makwana of his decision earlier in the week. Makwana has also informed Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan of the development.
This comes following a flurry of public attacks on him led by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, Gordhan’s and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s subsequent inability to support him and his management publicly.
Days ago, Mantashe said Eskom was “actively agitating for the overthrow of the state”. Neither Ramaphosa nor Gordhan replied to Mantashe’s accusation. They also did not offer support to De Ruyter and his management.
De Ruyter’s resignation may cause a number of other senior executives and engineers to leave. Jan Oberholzer, De Ruyter’s number two and chief operating officer, will also retire in April 2023.
South Africa has been battling worsening bouts of load shedding this year, with Stage 7 in view. Eskom has repeatedly said that the dire state of its aging coal fleet means that breakdowns will increase, and that maintenance cannot be postponed. The government has, however, dragged its feet to install additional generation capacity.
De Ruyter, who assumed his position on Christmas Day in 2019, has recently been severely criticised for Eskom’s performance, despite the company providing regular briefings and detailed information about the decrepit state of the country’s electricity infrastructure.