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For Sihle Mavuso 
1 hour ago
Durban – Eskom’s decision to launch an investigation into allegations that his group’s CEO André de Ruyter is using the race card to kick out black suppliers has been criticized as an attempt to circumvent a credible proposed by Scopa (Standing Committee on Public Accounts) when the allegations surfaced last week.
This is the opinion of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), one of the unions with members working for Eskom.
This was after the power company said yesterday that it would appoint an independent senior counsel to investigate the allegations raised by Eskom’s suspended director of acquisitions, Solly Tshitangano.
In a letter to the board and to Scopa, among others, Tshitangano said De Ruyter was pushing black suppliers in favor of white-owned ones. It claimed that it was doing so without going through normal procurement processes.
But Numsa spokesman Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said Eskom’s current board has a history of ordering investigations not to get to the bottom of an issue, but to clarify their favorite executives.
He cited last year’s report that acquitted Eskom’s chief operating officer (COO) Jan Oberholzer of various allegations related to corruption, dishonesty and abuse of power.
Oberholzer was charged with a conflict of interest when he allegedly did not disclose his stake in Steffanuti Stocks, a company he operated with Eskom and for which he once worked.
“We want to make it clear as Numsa that we don’t have much faith in the actions the board is currently taking, we have more faith in what Scopa is proposing and in the research Scopa is proposing. We say this because the same board was quick to whitewash Oberholzer in connection with the Steffanuti investigations … we look forward to another whitewashing process that is now being announced. It is very clear that this board is determined to support a failed GCEO, ”he said.
Hlubi-Majola added that the issue of racism at Eskom appears to be widespread, as there has been a purge of highly skilled black engineers in the past.
“There has been a concerted effort to get rid of black engineers who have skills and who understand how to run Eskom,” he alleged.
Another union that is organized in Eskom, the National Union of Mine Workers (NUM), said it welcomes the investigation as the accusations of racism are serious. Their spokesperson, Livhuwani Mammburuu, said they want action against De Ruyter.
“At a company as large as Eskom, we do not want such accusations and the instability at Eskom must come to an end. We don’t want anyone aligned with Eskom to be the one to carry out the investigation, ”he said.
Furthermore, Mammburuu said that the accusations of racism go beyond what has been reported and can be seen in Eskom’s salary structures, where black and white employees do the same work, while the former are paid less.
“The pay gap at Eskom is another form of racism that should be addressed during upcoming pay negotiations,” he added.
Despite calls for De Ruyter to be fired while the matter is investigated, Eskom spokesman Sikonathi Mantshantsha said the board has full confidence in him, even as others argue that the head loss has worsened under his supervision.
“During 2015, Eskom had the worst load shedding at 115 days. In the financial year ending March 2020, load shedding was implemented for 42 days; this includes stage 6 which was implemented in the first week of December 2019. Mr. de Ruyter joined Eskom in January 2020. This financial year ends on March 31, 2021 Load shedding has been implemented so far for 37 days from April 1, 2020, ”said Mantshantsha.
He added that De Ruyter cannot be forced to withdraw, as it is a mere investigation to determine whether the allegations are well founded or not.
“The first thing to keep in mind is that there have never been, and no complaints have yet been made against Mr. De Ruyter, in terms of Eskom’s complaint process. The investigation that the board has initiated is for an independent lawyer to verify if there is any veracity and any basis for the accusations of racism that have now been made against Mr. De Ruyter with Scopa in parliament. It is not a disciplinary process at this time.
“The attorney will interview any witnesses that the attorney believes may be helpful in the investigation, and then he or she will deliver a report to the board, along with a recommendation on the way forward. If that leads to any disciplinary proceedings, Eskom’s well-established disciplinary process will be launched against the party where credible evidence of wrongdoing has been found, ”Mantshantsha said.
Political Bureau
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