POLITICS

De Ruyter and Eskom board should leave – BBC

Council says continuous loadshedding is unacceptable for struggling economy

Eskom and security of energy supply are the biggest risk for economic reconstruction and recovery plan

29 June 2022

The Black Business Council (BBC) is of the considered view that Eskom and the security of energy supply are the biggest risks for the achievement of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP) and sustainable investments.

The continuous rolling blackouts and loadshedding by Mr André Marinus de Ruyter, including moving the country to stage six (6), giving a plethora of excuses, is unacceptable for a struggling economy trying to recover from the impact of COVID-19.

"Until and unless our government, as shareholders, takes the drastic steps to remove the incompetent management and inadequate Board of Eskom, who have time to come with laughable excuses such as continuously blaming state capture instead of solving the electricity generation challenges, the country must forget about any prospect of economic recovery." said Kganki Matabane, BBC CEO.

"Our beloved country is becoming a laughing stock of the world and a failing state due to lack of political will to hold those who are paid to provide reliable electricity to account. We call upon H.E. President Ramaphosa to do the right thing if he does not want to be remembered as the President who brought our economy to its knees" concluded Matabane.

The BBC, once more, calls for de Ruyter and the board to do the honourable thing and leave Eskom.

Issued by Black Business Council, 29 June 2022