Eskom board member tells Scopa we cannot be the ‘fall guy for this ANC-led government’

Eskom board member Busisiwe Mavuso excused herself after she had a heated interaction with the chairperson of parliament's standing committee on public accounts (Scopa), Mkhuleko Hlengwa, on Friday afternoon.

The department of public enterprises said her conduct was regrettable and unbecoming of a member of a board which is the accounting authority.

The board and senior management of Eskom were meeting Scopa to explain the ongoing power cuts and other matters.

In answer to one of the questions by Scopa members, Mavuso said the board and CEO Andre de Ruyter will not be the “fall guy” for the mess the power utility is currently experiencing.

“The reality of the matter is that this is not our mess,” Mavuso said.

She said the board and De Ruyter had been brought in to clean up Eskom. Mavuso said the board will “avail itself to be held accountable to ensure that Kusile is finished by 2023".

“Everything else, honestly, we cannot be the fall guy for this ANC-led government,’ Mavuso said.

Hlengwa was not happy with this response, telling Mavuso that Scopa had a “decent” interaction with the Eskom board chairperson over the past two days and that she had a common courtesy to accompany the committee and attend all the meetings.

“You are not going to come now at midstream of our oversight of Eskom ... with these kind of theatrics. I just won’t stand for it.  I am suppressing this matter now,” Hlengwa said.

Mavuso replied that this was not theatrics, but facts.

Hlengwa said De Ruyter had been at pains on Friday morning to take the committee patiently through these issues and not engaging in theatrics.

Hlengwa gave Mavuso an ultimatum that “either you behave yourself or excuse yourself from this meeting”.

Mavuso replied: “I will excuse myself,” before leaving the meeting.

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