BBC calls for resignation of the Eskom CEO and the board over prolonged electricity blackouts

8 November 2021

The Black Business Council (BBC), which was amongst the first to congratulate Andre de Ruyter on his appointment in November 2019, is calling for him and the entire Board of Directors to step down due to their inability to resolve the prolonged electricity blackouts.

"The BBC was overly optimistic when de Ruyter was appointed as Eskom needed stability but has since realised that two years later, the country has nothing to show but the highest number of blackouts in the history of our beloved South Africa" says Kganki Matabane, the CEO of the BBC.

The BBC is of the view that the country should acknowledge that the Eskom leadership is completely overwhelmed, inept and out of its depth. They simply don't seem to be able to have a handle on this crisis and as such, should be let go as there appear to be no prospect in sight for any improvement of this serious situation.

President Ramaphosa, when outlining government's economic recovery plans, confirmed the dependency of the pace of economic recovery on ability to resolve energy crisis swiftly when he said "We know that resolving the energy supply shortfall and reducing the risk of load shedding is our single most important objective in reviving economic growth because there is no economy that can really grow without energy security. The Eskom leadership is failing the country and as such, the economic reconstruction and recovery plan, which the President outlined, will remain a pipedream.

The country, which is very understanding and not unreasonably demanding, is looking for a predictable rooster with a proper and realistic period of when the problem will be finally resolved so that businesses and all residents can plan their lives accordingly.

"The country has been experiencing the blackouts since 2008 and 13 years later, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. The continuous excuse of blaming the state capture, instead of solving the current problem, while could have been valid, is disingenuous and tired. The inability to stabilise Eskom will only lead to the country being downgraded resulting in the increase in the already world record-breaking unemployment rate, further economic contraction and scaring of international investors" concluded Matabane.

The BBC has called an urgent meeting with the President of the RSA and the Minister of Public Enterprises to discuss this critically important matter.

Issued by Black Business Council, 8 November 2021