Groundhog Day for Eskom chair, Mpho Makwana, in the messy departure of Andre De Ruyter

[View in browser]( [Mail & Guardian]( M&G Mornings | Fri 24 Feb   With a record of 11 chief executives in the space of just over a decade, the manner in which Eskom’s Andre De Ruyter left shouldn’t be too surprising for the ailing institution. Especially for Mpho Makwana, the chairperson of the institution, who will in all likelihood take over the executive reigns until a replacement is found. Makwana has certainly seen this sort of drama before. The musical chairs as it pertains to the Eskom hot seat began with Jacob Maroga’s surprising resignation to both himself and the board 14 years ago. What I recall from that story was that he offered his resignation in a heated board meeting and was surprised that it was immediately accepted. In essence, they called his bluff. It’s something that the Eskom lifer, having worked at the institution since 1995, has lived to regret. He would go to court to try to get himself reinstated arguing that he didn’t in fact resign, but he would eventually go on to lose that fight. What would unfold in that battle would draw the state deeper and deeper into the internal affairs of Eskom, a position that it has never left, to our detriment. Maroga had used whatever tools at his disposal to get the administration of Jacob Zuma onside and they rejected the board’s acceptance of his resignation. From what was a board dispute with its chief executive quickly escalated into the world of politics, leading to former AngloGold Ashanti chief executive and Eskom chair, Bobby Godsell, resigning on governance principles. Who would step in to take his place, none other than Makwana, who took up executive chairmanship until Brian Dames eventually replaced Maroga as Eskom chief executive. The past few months, weeks and days of De Ruyter’s tenure must have felt like Groundhog Day for him. Watching De Ruyter’s television interview, which ultimately led to the board’s decision to cut short his notice period, is just a bit of corporate politics that he has seen. There shouldn’t be any panic, except for the one of stabilising the grid. Whether Makwana and the board can do that, remains to be seen. Ron Derby | Editor-in-Chief [@RonDerby]( [UPDATE: What next for Eskom as De Ruyter immediately released from duties]( Sources on the board of Eskom believe that chief financial officer Calib Cassim will take over as the next CEO Join thousands of South Africans who want a more just South Africa. Read past party lines, past the bluster and the distortion. Get the best reporting, analysis and commentary that is factual, balanced and fair with uninterrupted access to all Mail & Guardian content online. Plus - Preferential access to Mail & Guardian events - Get daily conversation starters straight into your inbox - An invitation to join the newsroom’s Review session on Friday mornings - Lend your expertise and experience to the stories we tell [// Read more]( Articles labelled as Premium are only available to subscribers. [CLICK HERE]( to subscribe Already a subscriber? [SIGN IN HERE]( [ANC to take legal action against former Eskom chief executive Andre De Ruyter]( Secretary general gives De Ruyter 10 days to produce evidence for claims of corrupt ANC leaders in Eskom accusing him of meddling in politics Join thousands of South Africans who want a more just South Africa. Read past party lines, past the bluster and the distortion. Get the best reporting, analysis and commentary that is factual, balanced and fair with uninterrupted access to all Mail & Guardian content online. 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