Outgoing Eskom CEO André de Ruyter has filed an attempted murder charge after an alleged attempt on his life.
He told media he had opened a criminal case after doctors found cyanide in his blood.
News24 reported De Ruyter was allegedly poisoned last month, shortly before his resignation was officially announced.
According to reports De Ruyter became fell ill after drinking a cup of coffee at Eskom’s offices in Sunninghill.
He collapsed after vomiting, shaking and being unable to walk and his bodyguards took him to a clinic near the Megawatt office park.
A doctor diagnosed De Ruyter as suffering from cyanide poisoning.
A cyanide acid level of about 15 micrograms per litre of blood is considered normal, while the level in De Ruyter’s blood was 41.31 micrograms per litre.
The DA condemned the alleged attempt on De Ruyter’s life.
Ghaleb Cachalia, DA shadow minister of public enterprises, said in a statement: “The DA condemns the attempted murder of Eskom’s CEO, Andre de Ruyter at Megawatt Park, while he was dutifully attending to his duties in the wake of his resignation.
“Not only has De Ruyter been left out to dry amid ANC shenanigans but now criminal syndicates within Eskom are palpably hell-bent on cementing their stranglehold on Eskom that is destroying the economy. It is clear that they will stop at nothing.
“All this — worthy of a mafia movie — now plays out while the ANC does nothing to secure our electricity supply ...
“Load-shedding — rolling blackouts — continue to hobble the economy and have become an embedded feature in the daily lives of millions of South Africans.
“Firm and decisive action needs to be taken now. The trouble is that anyone who attempts to do so is not only sidelined, but their lives are in danger.”
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De Ruyter opens criminal case after alleged poisoning at Eskom headquarters
Image: Deon Raath
Outgoing Eskom CEO André de Ruyter has filed an attempted murder charge after an alleged attempt on his life.
He told media he had opened a criminal case after doctors found cyanide in his blood.
News24 reported De Ruyter was allegedly poisoned last month, shortly before his resignation was officially announced.
According to reports De Ruyter became fell ill after drinking a cup of coffee at Eskom’s offices in Sunninghill.
He collapsed after vomiting, shaking and being unable to walk and his bodyguards took him to a clinic near the Megawatt office park.
A doctor diagnosed De Ruyter as suffering from cyanide poisoning.
A cyanide acid level of about 15 micrograms per litre of blood is considered normal, while the level in De Ruyter’s blood was 41.31 micrograms per litre.
The DA condemned the alleged attempt on De Ruyter’s life.
Ghaleb Cachalia, DA shadow minister of public enterprises, said in a statement: “The DA condemns the attempted murder of Eskom’s CEO, Andre de Ruyter at Megawatt Park, while he was dutifully attending to his duties in the wake of his resignation.
“Not only has De Ruyter been left out to dry amid ANC shenanigans but now criminal syndicates within Eskom are palpably hell-bent on cementing their stranglehold on Eskom that is destroying the economy. It is clear that they will stop at nothing.
“All this — worthy of a mafia movie — now plays out while the ANC does nothing to secure our electricity supply ...
“Load-shedding — rolling blackouts — continue to hobble the economy and have become an embedded feature in the daily lives of millions of South Africans.
“Firm and decisive action needs to be taken now. The trouble is that anyone who attempts to do so is not only sidelined, but their lives are in danger.”
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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