OFM Business Hour: Unknown if new Eskom board will turn tide

Business

─── OLEBOGENG MOTSE 17:32 Wed, 05 Oct 2022

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It is unknown if Eskom’s newly constituted board of directors, will turn the tide at South Africa’s ailing power utility.

This is according to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) Alan Mukoki, who explains to the OFM Business Hour that Eskom exists as an ecosystem and until a root-cause analysis has been conducted which determines where the key issues lie at the utility - the board’s success remains unknown.

“The board is only one element and may not necessarily be the main element at the utility” says Mukoki.

ALSO READ: Eskom woes affect all: Sacci

He stresses that SACCI has no issue with the newly announced board members adding that they appear to be seasoned professionals with high credibility.

They are however questioning:

What template is the government using in putting a board together?
What are the objectives that government is trying to achieve at Eskom?
And if things have not worked out before, to what extent are you conducting a root-cause analysis?

In addition to this root-cause analysis the SACCI CEO stresses that Eskom and the government as a whole need to be clear what the model applied for recruiting, retention, succession planning and performance management is at the utility.

Load-shedding to be suspended

Whilst Eskom says load-shedding will be suspended at 05:00 on Saturday morning, 8 October 2022 as it anticipates lower demand during the weekend, the country’s economy certainly took a knock this last month with damaging load-shedding taking place.

Also Read: Light at end of tunnel as Eskom suspends power cuts

“Loadshedding should be an exceptional event” reiterates Mukoki. Smaller players in the country’s economy can’t always be finding alternative power solutions like generators, inverters or alternative sources like solar energy.

It however remains to be seen if the country’s energy crisis will be over soon, with Mukoki noting that all the promises being made now, have been made before.

Eskom's board members

Eskom’s board is made up of the following members:

Mpho Makwana, Busisiwe Vilakazi, Lwazi Goqwana, Clive le Roux, Dr Rod Cromption, Leslie Mkhabela, Mteto Nyati, Fathima Gany, Ayanda Mafuleka, Tsakani Mthombeni, Claudelle von Eck, Tryphosa Ramano and Bheki Ntshalintshali.

The new ?@Eskom_SA? Board pic.twitter.com/xTcxGrurik

— Jacob Maroga (@jacob_maroga) September 30, 2022 ">