LETTER: Whistle-blower has his book thrown at him

The time has come to call a spade a spade vis á vis the cosy relationship between the chair of Eskom, Mpho Makwana, and the minister of public enterprises, Pravin Gordhan. These two, who have stroked each other’s backs for many years, have now crossed a line.

Makwana has publicly declared he will throw the book at former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter for various offences he might have committed arising from his public statements, and Makwana’s mentor and protector-in-chief, Gordhan, has said he would encourage the board to take action against De Ruyter’s violation of the confidentiality clause in his employment contract.

t is lamentable that, despite well-intentioned whistle-blowing from someone at the apex of Eskom — who has all the company information and issues at his fingertips, who has suffered an attempt on his life and has fled the country out of fear for his family’s safety — is now the target of a meddling minister and his stooge acting out of clear and misplaced commission and compliance.

Surely things should be the other way round when the entire nation is looking for answers. Surely this is the time for seniors to provide backing to the brave instead of hiding behind false formalities. Alas, Makwana and Gordhan are on the wrong side of the equation.

What is called for is a thorough and speedy investigation of all De Ruyter’s allegations — detailed in reports, interviews, affidavits and now backed up by a book that has the nation in thrall — followed by firm action.

The chair of the utility should worry about fixing Eskom, keeping a CEO for longer than two years and assisting to optimise a government entity that requires long-term planning beyond election cycles. Except here he is throwing books and dancing to the discordant tune of his shareholder.

The CEO has at least two duties: fiduciary and to the nation. When the two clash, as they patently do now, he chose the nation. Makwana and Gordhan should do so as well. More’s the pity, they won’t, while the country heads for stage 8 and worse stages of blackout.

Ghaleb Cachalia
DA shadow minister, public enterprises