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ANC chooses party loyalty over electricity supply - Zille

Helen Zille
09 November 2009

DA leader says the ANC abused its power to protect the Eskom CEO

Godsell resignation: ANC chooses political loyalty over service delivery

The ANC government and those aligned to it were faced with a clear choice: fix the delivery of electricity to South Africa's citizens or protect the job of a deployed ANC cadre.

Political loyalty trumped loyalty to the South African public.

At a time when Eskom is failing to deliver on its basic mandate, and when citizens must bear the 43% tariff hike that is the cost of such failure, the government needed to act decisively in favour of better delivery. Instead, it chose to fuel a tirade of racial rhetoric which resulted in the resignation of Bobby Godsell and the return of Jacob Maroga as Eskom CEO.

Bobby Godsell was given a mandate to turn Eskom around. When he tried to address one of the biggest stumbling blocks to delivery - poor management of the utility - the ANC played the race card to defend their cadre. Not once did the government consider the facts, weigh the evidence, or judge on the merits of the case.

In fact, this had nothing to do with the ANC at all. It should have been a decision of Eskom's board. The fact that politicians overrode the board shows that the ANC is totally ignoring the boundaries between party and state.  

The real story behind Mr. Godsell's departure must be told, because it will reveal the full extent of the ANC's abuse of power.

The ANC government is incapable of distinguishing the requirements necessary for service delivery from its own obsession with political loyalty. Every day this costs the country. Today, that obsession has destroyed any pretence that this government is committed to turning Eskom around and putting citizens first.

Statement issued by Democratic Alliance leader, Helen Zille, November 9 2009

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 responses to this article

ANC fat cats don't give a hoot.......
by the time the brown stuff hits the fan they will be sitting pretty with their fat pensions and their dishonestly acquired millions. B***** the proletariat; service delivery is such a bore anyway, better to look after one's own buddies.

by Oompah on November 09 2009, 22:51
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ESKOM FIASCO
Well Bobby you had the vote of the whole board.
If the ANC intervenes to protect a cadre of these you did the right thing.
Your expertise will be welcomed anywhere else in world.
Let blind lead the blind and be thankfull you do not have to . .more

by WINDOW DRESSER on November 10 2009, 09:21
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WHO DO YOU CALL THE FAT CAT
Just tell me Oompah, what did you great grandfather do for the people of SOUTH AFRICA and AFRICA as a whole what did they do, did they give the better live for all, did they run this country for the best of all citizen of this country did they, all they . .more

by nkululeko on November 10 2009, 09:29
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eskom
buddys will get rich better life for all

by ivan on November 10 2009, 09:43
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Judgement and retribution
@nkululeko - every knee will bend one day and so will yours. I pity you for your gross bias and ignorance.

by RichardB on November 10 2009, 09:56
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