‘Powerful actors’ want to topple investigations into Eskom: CEO
Busi Mavuso, the CEO of Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), says that funding an investigation into the allegations made by former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter was in the best interests of business and citizens in South Africa – however, she claims there are now ‘powerful actors’ who wish to stand in the way.
Corruption allegations at Eskom hit a boiling point earlier this year, when de Ruyter, in an interview with ENCA, made bold allegations of senior politicians being directly involved with and entrenched in corruption at Eskom.
De Ruyter went on to accuse the ANC, in particular, of using the power utility as a ‘feeding trough’.
Long before the interview, however – in 2021 – de Ruyter approached BLSA for assistance in funding an investigation and assessment into the risks facing the embattled power utility.
BLSA reportedly paid R18 million for an investigation conducted by George Fivaz Forensic & Risk.
The investigation has come under intense scrutiny, with reports pointing to its findings being based on wild speculation and unfounded claims.
De Ruyter, meanwhile, is also in the hot seat, with authorities looking into whether he bypassed the critical protocols required to initiate a large-scale operation and gave unfettered access to the inner workings of Eskom to an unvetted organisation.
Mavuso, however, has come out to bat for de Ruyter and the investigation.
The BLSA CEO said that the business group was happy to provide funding as criminality – and organised crime specifically – has done immense damage to the business sector, investments and the job landscape.
Since the investigation, she said that BLSA has been “attacked” for its actions in backing de Ruyter in his mission to deal with criminality in Eskom.
“That is to be expected – this is not a fight that will go unchallenged,” said Mavuso. “In de Ruyter’s view, corruption and organised crime were and are a material part of the problems afflicting Eskom.”
“This intractable problem required skilled external resources to investigate and understand, resources that Eskom itself could not provide and which the criminal justice system, including the police, had not provided to a sufficient degree.”
The CEO said she and her colleagues believe that supporting institutions of law and order and helping to end the electricity crisis are the main priorities.
De Ruyter’s request aligned with both of those priorities. He was clear that organised crime and sabotage were major factors afflicting Eskom, alongside financial and operational issues, she said.
She said that the criminal networks that have infiltrated Eskom use a similar modus operandi to the issues other businesses have faced, adding that the Eskom investigation is not the first instance of BLSA supporting law and order challenges in the country.
Following the Zondo report into state capture, BLSA engaged with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), leading to a memorandum of understanding that allowed for BLSA to provide funding to deploy resources under the NPA’s authority and direction.
On top of that, BLSA has been a robust supporter of the National Electricity Crisis Committee (Necom) and has contributed heavily, she said.
“Through our division Business Against Crime, we provide multiple sources of support to the police, including our Eyes and Ears campaign, which ensures business, including private security companies, gathers information for the police and provides technical skills and resources to support policy work.”
Powerful actors at play
Mavuso said that de Ruyter’s request for assistance and funding was a natural extension of BLSA’s support programmes, “and so we agreed to the request”.
She acknowledged that better results could have been achieved from the investigation; despite this, she added that several arrests and important intelligence stemmed directly from it.
However, Mavuso said there are now major threats to parties such as BLSA – and they have substantial resources to deploy.
“These interests are deeply invested in sustaining their extraction from the utility and other targets. When I see narratives being pushed about Eskom’s need to favour certain generation sources over others – even to the extent of contradicting existing government policy – we must always ask whose interests they serve.”
“Similarly, the attack on de Ruyter and the risk assessment that BLSA part-funded must be seen in terms of who stands to benefit.”
“There are powerful actors, with strong motives both to stay out of jail and to maintain their access to resources, who can push narratives to serve their interests,” she said.
“These vested interests are motivated both to challenge the transition to renewables, even though it is clearly the best (ie, quickest and cheapest) way to resolve the energy crisis but from which they do not have the means of extraction and to extort and corrupt Eskom.”
Mavuso said that cracking down on corruption at Eskom is not only in the interest of business but of the broader polity too.
“We cannot shirk our responsibility to do what we can to improve the business environment and the lives of ordinary South Africans,” she said.
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