Cape Town – Eskom’s head of legal, Mel Govender, says she would not have recommended the immediate termination of former CEO André de Ruyter’s employment following a controversial television interview in February.
Govender expressed her opinion to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on Tuesday, saying that nothing De Ruyter said in the interview brought Eskom into disrepute.
De Ruyter made bombshell allegations about corruption at the power utility during an interview with eNCA in February this year, and was released from his position as a result.
In the interview, de Ruyter alleged high-ranking government officials were linked to the corruption and theft that had emptied the utility’s coffers.
However, when he appeared in front of Scopa, he refused to name a minister he linked to the corruption claims, telling parliamentarians that doing so would jeopardise ongoing investigations.
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Last month Eskom board chairperson, Mpho Makwana, hit back at utterances made by De Ruyter, saying they were misleading.
Briefing Scopa in Parliament, Makwana said following the interview, the Eskom board met with De Ruyter and found that he had brought the organisation into disrepute.
“A good number of the allegations that were made misled the public as if there were new developments that had been shared firstly with the board, and that was not the case. Secondly, it would have misled the public in indicating as if there was no action taken internally by Eskom and all concerned (sic),” he said.
But according to EWN, Govender said: “My view is that nothing in the interview brought Eskom into disrepute. Nothing that was said is completely news to Eskom.”
Scopa is currently investigating corruption allegations made by De Ruyter, which have also been published in a book since his departure.
Govender suggested that De Ruyter should have been asked to provide the privately-funded intelligence report supporting the allegations before his contract was terminated, the report said.
She also questioned whether the termination followed a fair process. Govender reiterated that if asked, she would not have advised the board to terminate De Ruyter’s employment immediately.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
