by Roger Lilley, Energize

Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) on Wednesday 26 April 2023. His appearance relates to statements he made during a TV news interview in February 2023. In that interview, de Ruyter said that the looting of Eskom was severe and that highly connected people, including some politicians were involved.

During the SCOPA hearing, ANC MP Bheki Hadebe asked de Ruyter to identify the politician who was quoted as saying that one needs to enable people to "eat a little bit".

But de Ruyter said it was inappropriate to divulge the identity of the individual to SCOPA since he had already disclosed the findings and issues that he uncovered with Minister Pravin Gordhan, the minister of the Department of Public Enterprises which is responsible for Eskom. He said he had also informed Sydney Mufamadi, the national security advisor.

He added that naming the person was “not in the interests of the oversight role of SCOPA” and that he wouldn’t disclose the name to SCOPA at this time. He asked SCOPA to get the name from Gordhan or Mufamadi.

De Ruyter said he stands by his comment that there is a "senior politician" involved. He said he became aware of it in 2022. And Gordhan was made aware of this in June or July of 2022. De Ruyter added that although the media was using the term “minister”, all he had said that it was a “senior politician”.

Nonetheless, he had identified the person in question to Gordhan and Mufamadi and that they should inform the relevant authorities. He said that he was being careful not to expose himself to the risk of legal action.

He declined to name the individual even when offered to make an oath and benefit from Parliamentary privilege, again referring SCOPA to Gordhan and Mufamadi.

De Ruyter was asked if load shedding was the result of direct meddling, or a lack of state involvement. He said that by failing to intervene in criminal activities and corruption at the state-owned power utility, the government was guilty of a form of meddling. And part of the criminality included sabotage, de Ruyter added. And the newly appointed minister of electricity had said that sabotage was playing a role in load shedding.

The meeting ended without de Ruyter naming names and with Hlengwa saying that SCOPA will send some questions to de Ruyter in writing. These will include interventions by Gordhan, the "micromanaging board", etc.