POLL | Should the entire Eskom board be fired over load-shedding?

SA’s energy crisis has sparked debate around the competence of the Eskom board, and calls for its executives to be removed.

The EFF was among those making the demand, saying the party had warned about the management of the state-owned power utility.

“The incompetence and arrogance of Eskom executives has plunged SA into perpetual and unwarranted darkness that is killing businesses and livelihoods. The collapse of Eskom and the failure to prove a dependable and consistent energy supply are meant to render the country’s electricity utility redundant and useless,” the party said.

While some agreed, others said the board had inherited a mess.

The EFF said if the board does not step down, it would take “more radical steps to ensure competent, dependable and fit people are in charge”.

“We call for the firing of the board, CEO and COO, knowing very well [President] Cyril Ramaphosa’s cowardice will not allow him to take decisive steps. 

“The EFF warns that failure to fire Eskom’s board, CEO and COO will require us to take more radical steps to ensure competent, dependable and fit people are in charge of Eskom to resolve the energy crisis and bring an end to blackouts that have become a permanent feature of our lives.”

Eskom CEO André de Ruyter said there was a risk of high load-shedding stages this week, but assured the country the power utility was doing its best.

COO Jan Oberholzer earlier in the week blamed ageing generators. 

“We understand our mandate, and that is to supply sustainable electricity to the country, which we unfortunately sometimes, and as we speak, are not able to do. Again our sincere apologies for having to implement load-shedding,” he said.

“It is important to understand we have plans in place, I believe very good plans, to increase and install capacity and stop load-shedding.”

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