By Christelle Terreblanche
Political Bureau
In a high-level bid to resolve the stand-off between Eskom's board and its chief executive officer, Jacob Maroga, President Jacob Zuma is understood to have personally met board chairperson Bobby Godsell.
Well-placed government sources confirmed the meeting late on Sunday after the matter had been discussed by the ANC leadership during a meeting of the ANC's national executive committee this weekend.
The tussle over control of the state-owned electricity provider spilled into the public domain last week with a statement announcing Maroga's resignation, followed by suggestions that he had tried to withdraw his resignation.
Godsell said he could not confirm or deny the meeting with Zuma
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Zuma's intervention is a departure from his firm stance not to intervene in the leadership tussles at state-owned enterprises. Zuma distanced the Presidency from an ANC show of support for Transnet executive Siyabonga Gama, who hoped to be appointed to the parastatal's top job in September. Zuma told the media that only Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan could appoint the Transnet CEO.
It is understood that Maroga and Godsell had differences of opinion over how to steer the utility and vowed not to work with each other.
Godsell said he could not confirm or deny the meeting with Zuma.
"We are following a particular process and we will comment formally through a media statement or briefing and we are not doing either right now," Godsell said on Sunday. "I am not in a position to comment."
The state should take 'decisive action and provide leadership' On Friday, the chairwoman of the National Assembly's public enterprises committee, Vytjie Mentor, urged the government to be more proactive in the running of state-owned enterprises.
"If the government does not intervene in this Eskom saga, the image of Eskom and the country will be dented."
She said Hogan had approved Godsell's appointment on behalf of the state and "therefore, when a crisis arises (the cabinet) cannot stand on the sidelines".
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