Founder: Turnaround Talk
Global football superstar, Christiano Ronaldo, shocked the world when he sat down to do a tell all interview with Piers Morgan weeks before the 2022 FIFA World Cup that was held in Qatar. The revelations that came out of the interview were shocking and damaged the players relationship with the club so badly that Manchester United immediately terminated Ronaldo’s contract making him a free agent.
The key part of the interview was that Ronaldo was probably frustrated about how he was being treated at the club and he knew that he would be crossing a line of no return by making the revelations that he did during his interview. Sound familiar? There are plenty of similarities between Ronaldo’s interview and Andre de Ruyter’s tell all interview with ENCA. De Ruyter walked into that interview frustrated, he probably knew that the Daily Maverick would be publishing the first of their treasure trove of intelligence that they had on the utility, and he wanted out.
By making the revelations that he did, De Ruyter orchestrated his own exit.
A century since its establishment on 1 March 2023, Eskom now faces the toughest period in its history. Not only is the utility battling to keep the lights on, but its role in corruption is also about to be laid bare for all to see.
Ramaphosa calls a meeting to discuss the corruption revelations
The Mail and Guardian (M&G) article pointed out that President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for a special cabinet meeting on Monday night in the wake of allegations of corruption involving Eskom as well as the much-awaited cabinet reshuffle.
Government communications acting director general Michael Currin confirmed that Ramaphosa had called for an urgent cabinet meeting but said he had not seen the agenda. However, insiders said Ramaphosa has called the meeting to finalise regulations for the energy state of disaster. The meeting is apparently scheduled for 10pm.
An insider said Ramaphosa will also want to discuss the energy crisis as well as the new electricity minister.
Photo By: @Presidency Twitter
Another urgent meeting
Meanwhile the Mail & Guardian understands that the ANC held a national working committee (NWC) meeting on Monday during which former Eskom chief executive Andre de Ruyter’s tell-all interview with eNCA will be discussed. The meeting is expected to continue until the evening.
One NWC member said they expect Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan to discuss the Eskom scandal.
The insider said Ramaphosa usually calls for an urgent cabinet meeting when the matter is political. Cabinet meetings are typically held on Wednesdays.
The article adds that this comes after explosive revelations by De Ruyter of high-ranking ANC politicians involved in corruption at the power utility.
Is the alliance strong?
Following the De Reuter interview, Ramaphosa met with ANC alliance leaders from the South African Communist Party and union federation Cosatu.
The M&G article points out that the meetings took place on 24 and 25 February. Cosatu President Zingiswa Losi said she and Ramaphosa discussed the announcement of an electricity minister.
Losi said Ramaphosa took people at the meeting into his confidence about the electricity minister position, which Cosatu had earlier raised as concerning.
“The president did touch on that particular matter but even though it was not the entire collective of Cosatu that attended the meeting, I think our fears have been allayed. The president said that this minister was not a permanent fixture and it was only an interim [measure] to manage the electricity crisis.”
The weekend meetings could mean that Ramaphosa will make his cabinet move this week. Cabinet reshuffles have usually been announced after these marathon meetings.
The M&G previously reported that Ramaphosa had assured the NWC that he would reconfigure his cabinet after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered the budget speech, which occurred on 22 February.
Opposition insistence
An article by News24 indicates that the Democratic alliance wants an official probe into De Reyter’s corruption bombshell.
The article points out that on 28 February, DA leader John Steenhuisen announced that he had written to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to ask for the urgent establishment of such a committee.
Photo By: Polity
“Ex-CEO André de Ruyter’s [eNCA] interview last week strongly suggests that Eskom power stations, the heartbeat of the nation’s economy, are under siege from a corrupt network of ANC-connected cartels. Some allegations point to the involvement of individuals who currently serve in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet,” Steenhuisen said in a statement.
“The nation needs to know the full, unvarnished truth. The allegations suggest that the ANC is systematically sabotaging South Africa’s electricity system to further its own corrupt aims. If true, this is treason – an unforgivable betrayal of the country by the governing party.”
The News24 article adds that Steenhuisen added that Parliament should take the lead in inquiring into the “full extent of the ANC’s criminal capture at Eskom”.
Support for the ad hoc committee
The News24 article points out that an ad hoc committee will have the power to subpoena anyone it deems necessary to come before it for questioning, including De Ruyter himself, according to him. It will also have the power to provide recommendations for further action on the basis of testimony and evidence gathered.
“The ANC has been vocal in denying its involvement in corruption at Eskom. If the governing party is indeed innocent, it should strongly support the DA’s request for an ad hoc parliamentary committee, both to clear its name and to identify the true perpetrators of Eskom corruption,” Steenhuisen said.
“This should be the first step in bringing an end to the criminal capture of our institutions and state-owned entities by the ANC, and an end to the ANC-created load shedding disaster.”
The article adds that, according to Steenhuisen, the National Assembly will debate whether to establish the committee on 16 March.
Framed in a specific way
The revelations made by De Ruyter frames the electricity crisis in a very specific way.
What can be done right now to address the electricity crisis? Yes it is important to expose corruption and what is being done behind the scenes that contribute to loadshedding. What ae we any closer to ending loadshedding and how will exposing this corruption put an end to loadshedding within the next 12 to 24 months?
The revelations also increases the scrutiny on anything that Government does regarding power. Is the Karpowership deal inherently corrupt? If so, how can we address it? Will the Karpowership deal benefit South Africa going forward? There are concerns that the deal will tie us into a multiyear agreement which would come with a significant cost. Is this cost greater than the R900 million that South Africa loses to loadshedding everyday that the country is in Stage 6 loadshedding?
Opposition parties do have a role to play in any country. However, it needs to be more than a belligerent role. At some point, the country is going to have to come together (ANC and Opposition) and work towards the greater good of the country.
