JOHN DLUDLU: Plans to fix Eskom are fraught with danger
Major confrontation is brewing in the governing alliance over the state’s scheme to break the utility into three subsidiaries
The plans to fix Eskom are making me nervous. In our quest to sort out the crisis at the state-owned energy supplier we might just end up destroying it. A major confrontation is brewing within the governing alliance over the state’s plan to break the utility into three subsidiaries — generation, transmission and distribution — under a holding company. Everyone agrees Eskom is in a mess. That’s the end of the agreement. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the unbundling plan as a key part of the solution. Quite rightly, he said there is no silver bullet to sort out the crisis. His finance minister, Tito Mboweni, has given Eskom almost R69bn over the next three years. Mboweni has also said he and his public enterprises colleague, Pravin Gordhan, will be appointing a chief restructuring officer to oversee the unbundling process. Gordhan has committed to thorough consultation with social partners — a key meeting is taking place at Nedlac next week. The current board and executive also h...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.