When Busi Mavuso, pushed to her limits by haughty politicians, told parliament that Eskom’s board would not be the “fall guy” for a mess created by the “ANC-led government”, she wasn’t just speaking for herself.
Rather, Mavuso spoke for an entire country sick of blackouts, but even more infuriated by the ANC-led government’s 14-year mishandling of the crisis.
This sparked a bad-tempered confrontation, in which Scopa committee chair Mkhuleko Hlengwa accused her of “theatrics”, and suggested she leave — an invitation Mavuso gladly accepted.
ANC MP Bheki Hadebe was particularly incensed at the “insult”. Later, Hadebe said Mavuso's statements “raise deep concerns about the quality of board members appointed to state owned-entities”.
Hadebe ought not to worry. If only Mavuso was a proxy for the new intake of leaders at SA’s crumbling state-owned entities, then you could trust they’d recover.
What Hadebe ought to be worried about is the quality of ANC MPs. You know — self-important politicians for whom not saying anything nasty about the ANC wrecking ball is more important than the truth.