When will Eskom get a new chief executive?

[View in browser]( [Mail & Guardian]( M&G Mornings | Wed 30 Aug   [ozayr_patel_hello-1] Last week I attended a meeting at Eskom. Mpho Makwana, the chair of the power utility, addressed the topic of when a new chief executive would be appointed. “Your guess is as good as ours,” he said. Makwana said the process was at an advanced stage, but was complicated. He continued: “Given the need for this enhanced due diligence, we don’t want what happened before to repeat itself, as well as the painful lessons from the past in dealing with the previous group executive.” Makwana is under no illusions about how huge the job is. The current acting chief executive, Calib Cassim, didn’t want the job and still doesn’t want it. Mandisa Nyathi [reported]( that the process is “in its final stages, with the decision sitting with the group’s main shareholders”. Whoever takes this job is a brave person who will stand up to politicians — and a dangerous one if the threats and attempt on former chief executive Andre de Ruyter’s life are true. We’re still waiting to hear whether a woman has been shortlisted. Eskom has only had male chief executives, so it might be time for a change. The person appointed will have their work cut out for them. This is probably one of the most scrutinised positions in the country given the energy crisis. Hopefully the new chief executive can end load-shedding in a way that doesn’t harm the climate and is a just transition. Ozayr Patel | Climate & Environment Editor [@Ozayr8]( [Calib Cassim (1)]( [Cassim is ‘not interested in Eskom’s top job’]( Acting chief executive says he still has work to do in his financial role at the utility [// Read more]( [Karpowership2]( [Karpowership shareholders to square up in court over R200bn gas deal]( PowergroupSA accuses the Turkish company of trying to transfer its shares to another black economic empowerment company without sticking to their agreement [// Read more]( [CEO of EOH Stephen van Coller testifies at State Capture Commission]( [New report reveals EOH corporate corruption case study and clean-up]( The JSE listed IT services company has turned itself around and remains a service provider to the government and private sector [// Read more]( Recommended Reads [Senzo Meyiwa could have only survived for ‘seconds, minutes’ after he was shot, says pathologist]( Dr Johannes Steenkamp said the soccer player bled heavily internally, from damage to the heart and the lungs [// Read more]( Premium [Modi: Defence cooperation an important pillar in India-Africa relations]( India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that he believes his country should share expertise and knowledge with the Africa continent in defence manufacturing, research and development [// Read more]( Premium [Will SA lose its footing amid China’s great rebalancing act?]( To realise sustainable growth, the economic superpower must change tack, and South Africa must be ready to adjust [// Read more]( [DA slams R5.3 billion salary increase for KZN government employees]( The increase comes as the provincial government’s revenue streams are drying up [// Read more]( [The cost of caring: Zithulele Hospital’s Ben Gaunt, one year later]( In 2022, Ben Gaunt, who led a team who transformed Zithulele Hospital in the Eastern Cape from a struggling public health facility into a poster child of excellence, resigned. The drama that followed the appointment of a controversial chief executive was well publicised. [// Read more]( Pic of the day [Melting world of polar bears: Arctic] An aerial view of the partially melting glaciers as a polar bear, one of the species most affected by climate change, walks on glacier in Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Under the responsibility of the Turkish Presidency and Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology, with the coordination of TUBITAK MAM Polar Research Institute (KARE), 11 scientists carried out the 3rd National Arctic Scientific Research Expedition, within the scope of the Turkish Naval Forces Command, the Turkish General Directorate of Meteorology, Anadolu Agency, research institutes, universities and bilateral cooperation. While the Arctic region remains one of the most profoundly impacted by global climate change due to its geographical location, maritime activities, trade routes, overfishing, mining, oil and gas exploration, human-driven pollutants, and the proliferation of plastic in ocean waters, it persists in experiencing rapid warming and melting. Projections indicate that polar bears, categorised as ‘vulnerable’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s endangered species list and recognised as the world’s largest land carnivores, will confront habitat loss and the threat of extinction should the ongoing Arctic melt persist. (Photo by Sebnem Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Mail & Guardian Media LTD · 25 Owl St · Braamfontein · Johannesburg, Gauteng 2001 · South Africa