Johannesburg - Fikile Mbalula, the ANC’s secretary-general, dismissed claims and allegations made by former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter that the party is corrupt; in fact, he says the party intends to take legal action.
In an exclusive interview with one of the broadcasters, De Ruyter alleged that there was political interference and that some ministers were feeding from the trough, implying that the power struggles would continue.
“Evidence suggests that Eskom is the ANC’s feeding trough. I expressed my concerns to a senior government minister about attempts, in my view, to water down governance around the $8.5 billion that, by and large, through Eskom’s intervention at COP26. And the response was essentially — you know, you have to be pragmatic — you have to — in order to pursue the greater good, you have to enable some people to eat a little bit. So yes, I think it is infringed,” De Ruyter said.
Mr Ramaphosa, President of the ANC & country stated the ANC is accused number one for corruption. Andre de Ruyter confirms senior ANC leaders are milking Eskom dry causing Loadshedding.
— Vuyo Zungula MP 🇿🇦 (@ZungulaVuyo) February 23, 2023
You hate yourself, your children and your country if you still believe in the ANC.
De Ruyter resigned on Tuesday with immediate effect after a meeting with Eskom board members.
He was meant to leave Eskom on March 31 after resigning in December.
Mbalula rejected the claims and challenged De Ruyter to bring him evidence.
He said the ANC supported the actions of the board to ensure proper governance and integrity among all.
The @PresidencyZA must stop grandstanding. Why are they only now asking for De Ruyter to present evidence of Ministers involved in Eskom corruption? Ramaphosa was informed and he did nothing.
— Sentletse 🇷🇺🇿🇦 (@Sentletse) February 23, 2023
“The ANC wants the government to continue its work with the greatest level of urgency. We welcome the immediate departure of De Ruyter from Eskom as announced,” he said.
Mbalula, speaking during a media briefing today, said De Ruyter must prove the allegations to the ANC in a certain period, and if he fails to do that, the party would take legal action against him.
“As we speak now, our lawyers are looking at that matter because he must prove what he said the ANC is doing. Many people in this country escape with murder because they tend to make loud claims that leave us tainted,” Mbalula said.
Having listened to De Ruyter, I’m almost 100% certain he was a Stellenbosch appointment. Ramaphosa was INSTRUCTED to appoint him. In the same way he’s now waiting for an instruction about a Minister of Electricity. De Ruyter was sent to give generation to Stellenbosch. My opinion
— Fana Mokoena (@fanamokoena) February 23, 2023
De Ruyter has ruffled feathers of the ANC, judging by its reaction to his claims in the said interview.
Mbalula said the statements De Ruyter made about the ANC were huge, and they were not only going to be addressed by his statement at the press conference.
“We must and we will as the ANC take action. That man, De Ruyter, must prove what he said about us, because as the SG, I never said any individual in the name of the ANC to go and have tea with De Ruyter and in their lousy talk. They talk about whatever they talk about. In the records of the ANC, there is no such thing; he must prove that the ANC he is talking about is corrupt,” he said.
Andre de Ruyter blew the whistle on the ANC-created Eskom crisis and was fired with immediate effect only because he verified what South Africans already know to be true: Luthuli House is the scene of the Eskom crime, and Ramaphosa and his cabinet are the perpetrators.
Mbalula said he was not going to wait for some parliamentary committee to summon him; he emphasised that they would take action.
“I am going to write to him through our lawyers; he must prove within 10 or seven days what he said. He is a lawyer; he can come, but we will meet him in court. I challenge him to name those people whom he said are corrupt, and he must deal with them himself. I am not here to safeguard a minister who gave him corrupt instructions to execute and he complied; that is his problem, and he must address it with law-enforcement,” Mbalula said.
He said De Ruyter was appointed strictly to lead the turnaround of Eskom into a functional public enterprise that provides the country with stable, reliable electricity.
“He has completely failed to deliver on this contractual obligation,” he said.
The Star