NFP shocked that after weeks of heavy load shedding Minister’s only solution was appointing a new Board
The National Freedom Party (NFP) says it is disturbed at the composition of the new Eskom Board which despite promises of being filled with individuals with an engineering background, is made up of “recycled executives with little to no engineering experience.”
On Friday, minister of state enterprises Pravin Gordhan announced the new board of Eskom comprising Mpho Makwana as Chairperson, Dr Busisiwe Vilakazi, Lwazi Goqwana, Clive Le Roux, Leslie Mkhabela, Mteto Nyati, Fathima Gany, Ayanda Mafuleka, Dr Tsakani Mthombeni, Dr Claudelle von Eck, Tryphosa Ramano and Bheki Ntshalintshali.
Gordhan said Dr Rod Crompton would be retained on the Eskom Board of Directors to ensure continuity, with executive directors Andre de Ruyter remaining the CEO, and Calib Cassim as the utility's CFO.
According to the minister the new board board came with broad experience, expertise and skills that would provide stability and strategic direction to the entity, in a bid to reposition Eskom to play a key role in the energy sector and bring load shedding to an end.
However, NFP leader in parliament Ahmed Munzoor Shaik- Emam, said the new board did not have the necessary technical skills to deal with load shedding, adding that the appointments were a sign of yet another cadre deployment rather than merit.
“It is absurd that this board is being presented as one which will solve Eskom’s problems, when most of these executives do not have an engineering background, and as such have very little grasp of how to deal with the technical challenges faced by Eskom,” Shaik-Emam said.
He said the NFP believed that the appointment of only five individuals with experience in the fields of engineering, energy policy and electricity delivery, showed the lack of political will by the governing party to address the challenges at the power utility.
“These appointments are marred with cadre deployment. Furthermore, no change has been made to the Executive Board members who manage the day-to-day operations. While there was a critical need for a new board to be appointed, this current make-up is not a panacea to Eskom’s challenges. Instead it is an attempt by the ruling party, to make us believe that they have a plan,” added Shaik-Emam.
The NFP said it was dismayed that after three straight weeks of heavy load shedding, the only solution that the ruling party could muster was to appoint a new Eskom board.
“We are astounded by the lack of interrogation of Minister Pravin Gordhan by the media, with regards to these appointments. There have been vacancies for a while, yet when Minister Gordhan was asked why these appointments took so long, he simply brushed the question aside and stated that we should not dwell on the past.
“This type of rationale is absurd. As the citizens of the country, we have a right to know why there was a delay, especially when we are in the middle of a crisis,” Shaik-Emam said.
On issues of sabotage which have been cited as being at the centre of the energy crisis in recent weeks, the NFP said: “If these reports of sabotage are true, then this issue should not simply be treated as sabotage against the power utility, but of our economy and country as a whole. This is fundamentally unpatriotic and needs to be treated as such.
“ Anyone who deliberately attempts to sabotage our country, through trying to instigate load shedding, would be guilty of treason and terrorism, and should be met with the full might of the law.”
The party said the emergence of Independent Power Producers brought in to supply power to the national grid was a sign that government was trying to privatise the utility.
“It has been noted that the Government has reiterated that it has no intention of privatising Eskom, despite the fact that there is an increasing number of Independent Power Producers, which will result in a lower demand on Eskom. While at face value this might be a good thing with regards to ending load shedding, however in the long run, a lower demand will mean that Eskom would have less funds to be able to pay its debt.
“ It is very likely that this debt would have to be covered by the taxpayers.”
The NFP urged Gordhan, “to treat the matter of sabotage and the appointment of the board with caution.@
Shaik-Emama also warned,“ that the introduction of Independent Power Producers would have devastating effects in the long run for the country.”