Eskom chair Mpho Makwana resigns

Eskom board chairperson Mpho Makwana has resigned. Picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency ( ANA)

Eskom board chairperson Mpho Makwana has resigned. Picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency ( ANA)

Published Oct 9, 2023

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Eskom Board chairperson Mpho Makwana has resigned from the position, just a year after he was appointed.

Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan said on Monday that Makwana will be succeeded by Mteto Nyati.

Makwana was appointed in September last year to help the power utility get out of trouble.

At the time Makwana assumed the position, Eskom had started experiencing an increase in load shedding, with higher stages of power cuts being implemented.

Eskom has been struggling over the last few years and has delayed submitting its audited financial statements to Parliament by the end of September.

The power utility suffered a loss of R5 billion in the first quarter of the current financial year.

Eskom is also under pressure to expand its transmission lines to connect renewable energy projects.

Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said recently that the power utility does not have a strong balance sheet to invest in the expansion of the grid.

Ramokgopa said they will need more than R250 billion to expand the grid, and they are courting the private sector to invest in the project.

Eskom has been without a CEO since André de Ruyter resigned last December.

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) will meet on Tuesday to discuss the legal opinion on a senior police official regarding making a submission to the committee.

This relates to the bombshell that was dropped by De Ruyter that there were cartels operating at Eskom. De Ruyter also said high-ranking politicians were involved in corruption and looting at Eskom.

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