LETTER: Have you checked your chalice?

“Eskom’s Never-Never CEO: Behind Gordhan’s Veto” (Editorials, September 28-October 4) states that “André de Ruyter ... was not only publicly attacked ... but was actually poisoned with cyanide in the last few months of his tenure”.

The claim that De Ruyter was poisoned was first published in January, and he provided further details in his interview with eNCA, which aired in February. To my knowledge, no evidence has emerged to support these claims. Moreover, De Ruyter himself stated that he withdrew the case he had lodged with the police, blaming what he felt to be their incompetence.

What basis, then, is there for treating the claim as fact?

One would have hoped that previous experience would have led to greater caution: various media outlets reported that a highly sophisticated tracking device had been found in De Ruyter’s car, but it turned out to be an old Volvo car tracker.

Poisoning claims by other senior figures, such as former president Jacob Zuma and former deputy president David Mabuza, have been similarly unsubstantiated and treated, appropriately, as such. Surely consistent and credible journalism requires the same in De Ruyter’s case?

Given the importance of the story, perhaps the time has come for some thorough and objective investigative journalism?

Dr Seán Mfundza Muller
Joburg

The FM welcomes concise letters from readers. They can be sent to fmmail@fm.co.za