Big win for Andre de Ruyter

The Public Protector has cleared former Eskom chief executive Andre de Ruyter of any wrongdoing related to procurement and nepotism allegations.

This investigation stemmed from a complaint Eskom’s former chief procurement officer, Solly Tshitangano, who accused De Ruyter of racism, nepotism and abuse of power.

Tshitangano was suspended for poor performance, after which he took aim at the former Eskom chief executive.

In March 2021, Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) met to consider Tshitangano’s claims.

The committee said the allegations against De Ruyter was serious enough to warrant a full investigation into the issue.

Eskom appointed Advocate Ishmael Semenya to investigate the allegations, including abuse of power, racial discrimination, and poor governance.

Tshitangano also accused De Ruyter of irregular recruitment, irregular staff appointments, and unlawful procurement.

In June 2021, Semenya dismissed these allegations, saying he could not find evidence that De Ruyter was guilty of these practices.

The Eskom board supported Semenya’s findings, adding that there was a pattern where employees charged with poor performance made wild allegations.

“Eskom employees charged with poor performance or ill-discipline tend to go public with wild and baseless claims,” the board said.

“The Board deeply regrets the waste of time, money and resources incurred by taxpayers due to such irresponsible conduct.”

De Ruyter said throughout the whole Solly saga, he was grateful for the unwavering support of Professor Malegapuru Makgoba, the Eskom chair.

However, this was not the end of the issue. It included the the Public Protector, the minister of public enterprises, the Auditor-General and the president.

The complaints filed with the Public Protector in January 2021 related to a procurement process to appoint a contractor.

He accused De Ruyter of appointing Werner Mouton to analyse fuel oil bid documents without following due process.

This matter dragged on for years. However, this week, IOL reported that the Public Protector has cleared De Ruyter of any wrongdoing.

The Public Protector reportedly said the allegations that Eskom irregularly appointed Mouton in contravention of recruitment and appointment legal prescripts were not substantiated.

This is a big win for De Ruyter as it substantiates his claims that the allegations were unfounded and motivated by retaliation for Tshitangano’s suspension.