Eskom Group CFO Calib Cassim (pictured) will serve as interim CEO following André De Ruyter immediate exit. (Photo: Gallo Images / Business Day / Freddy Mavunda) 
Less than a day after former Eskom CEO André De Ruyter’s explosive interview with eNCA aired on Tuesday night, where he made claims of political interference and systemic corruption at Eskom, the parastatal entity announced that de Ruyter was “released from his position with immediate effect.”
Read more in Daily Maverick: “André de Ruyter released from Eskom ‘with immediate effect’ following explosive interview”
De Ruyter initially resigned in December 2022 and was due to leave his job at the end of March. Eskom announced his immediate departure on Wednesday evening after De Ruyter said it appeared that cabinet members were aware of and accepted widespread corruption at Eskom.
On Friday morning, Eskom announced that Calib Cassim, who has been CFO for Eskom for over five years, (acting CFO in 2017, and CFO in 2018), was appointed “interim” CEO of Eskom with immediate effect.
In a statement, Eskom said of Cassim, “with over 20 years of service in Eskom, his qualifications and extensive experience have provided Mr Cassim with a deep understanding and appreciation of the Eskom business and the electricity industry, especially regarding the challenges facing the financing of operations and future expansion of the industry.”
Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said that Cassim, who is a registered Chartered Accountant (SA) and holds a Master’s degree in Business Leadership (MBL), “has nothing to say at this point, and will not be doing any interviews for a while.”
ANC guns for de Ruyter
On Thursday, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula challenged de Ruyter to produce evidence for his claims of corruption, saying that the ANC rejected the former CEO’s “unfortunate, irresponsible and baseless claims of alleged political meddling and corruption” at Eskom.
Read more in Daily Maverick: “‘We challenge you’ – ANC’s Fikile Mbalula calls on André de Ruyter to provide evidence for ‘baseless’ corruption claims at Eskom”
In response to the ANC government’s stance against De Ruyter, civil society coalition Defend Our Democracy said in a statement: “it is troubling that instead of dealing with the substance of de Ruyter’s startling interview — in particular the damning allegations of ongoing corruption and capture in the energy sector — some South African politicians have instead attacked De Ruyter”.
“What could have been an opportunity for uncovering alleged corruption and capture, instead became an opportunity to close political ranks in a bid to protect the image of the governing party.”
Karam Singh, Executive Director at Corruption Watch, told Daily Maverick with regard to De Ruyter’s allegations, “what is critical is that any allegations of corruption are investigated”.
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“We know that even under section 34 of the Preccca Act there is a duty on those in authority to report corruption over R100,000 a relatively small threshold given the type of industrial looting that has been going on at Eskom,” said Singh.
In response to Mbalula’s reiteration of Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan’s comment to TimesLIVE on Wednesday, that CEOs “should not be involved in open political debates or assertions”, Defend our Democracy said, “hinting that De Ruyter should not have spoken out because his views waded into the political arena, ignores that the pervading political culture in South Africa cannot be separated from the crisis the country faces”.
“Presumably, Mr De Ruyter has been in regular contact with the Hawks and others tasked with investigating corruption at Eskom and has provided cooperation and information to ongoing investigations,” said Singh.
National Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo told Daily Maverick on Friday, 24 February, that while they have a number of corruption cases from Eskom under investigation, there are none where De Ruyter specifically was a complainant (at this time), “unless if he reported via his security officers.”
Defend our Democracy called on De Ruyter to take his information of alleged corruption and suspected mafia networks to the Hawks.
“While his interview does make mention of sharing information with law enforcement agencies, it remains unclear if high-level political corruption was reported, as should have been done, irrespective of the actual or perceived incompetencies of the state in investigating and prosecuting corruption,” the organisation said in a statement.
“As Mr De Ruyter transitions from being an official to being a private person, it is important that he is provided with the necessary protections required by whistleblowers, noting that there has already been an attempt to poison him,” said Singh.
“It is really unfortunate that he has become a target of politicians who seek to muddy waters and deflect from the damning allegations,” Singh added, “A typical case of vilifying the messenger to deflect from the message. We may find some of Mr De Ruyter’s political sensibilities objectionable, but his allegations of corruption must be distinguished from what we may think about him or the challenges of his tenure while at the helm at Eskom.”
De Ruyter has not replied to Daily Maveick’s inquiry if he has taken his allegations forward at this time.
Defend Our Democracy also called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to outline how a new CEO will be insulated from political attacks and what the government will be doing to ensure the allegations de Ruyter made are investigated.
“As the public now faces an over 18% electricity tariff increase, and in light of ongoing Stage 6 load shedding, we call on government, and the governing party, to for once, put aside vitriolic politics and simply fix the mess that is to a large extent of their own making.”
The dramatic leadership developments took place amid heightened rolling blackouts and grid failures this week. South Africa has not had one day without rolling blackouts so far this year.
Track the full lineup of rolling blackouts since 2015 on the Outlier . DM