Personally, when I was looking from the outside, I felt that André was touching the right things, saying the right things,
Eskom chairman Mteto Nyati said in an interview with the Sunday Times, acknowledging that his initial assessment of former CEO André de Ruyter was mistaken, MyBroadband reported.
Eskom Chairman Reverses Stance on André de Ruyter Leadership
Nyati told the Sunday Times that President Cyril Ramaphosa offered him the chief executive position in September 2022. Nyati declined the offer, advising the president to give De Ruyter more board support instead. At the time, Nyati believed the external criticism directed at De Ruyter was unfair for someone managing an ailing and complex system with roots stretching back over a decade.
That perspective shifted when Nyati joined the Eskom board as a non-executive director in October 2022, serving under then-chairperson Mpho Makwana. Site visits to power stations and direct engagement with frontline staff exposed a profound disconnect between the utility’s top leadership and the workforce on the ground.
Did you know? André de Ruyter served as Eskom’s CEO from January 2020 until February 2023, taking the helm just one month after the utility implemented Stage 6 load-shedding for the first time in December 2019.
Frontline Disconnect and Systemic Dysfunctional Culture at Power Stations
Frontline employees became deeply disillusioned and frustrated under De Ruyter’s administration, according to Nyati. Workers reported that leadership failed to listen to operational realities or appreciate staff expertise. Nyati described the environment as dysfunctional, characterized by poor discipline, absent leadership, and a breakdown in standard operating procedures within an engineering-driven utility.
These people, they know what needs to be done, they are clear, but nobody is listening, nobody is listening,
Nyati told the Sunday Times. He added that workers grew increasingly alienated when listening to their leaders address the public on television while ignoring internal operational feedback.
Timeline of Crisis and Controversy During the CEO Tenure
De Ruyter’s three-year tenure coincided with the worst load-shedding in South African history. He inherited a power utility severely strained by years of state capture and declining plant performance. To secure long-term generation capacity, De Ruyter pursued increased planned maintenance, corporate unbundling, anti-corruption campaigns, and the Just Energy Transition toward renewables.
However, the operational strain frequently erupted into public controversy. De Ruyter departed abruptly in February 2023 following a television interview with E-tv’s Annika Larsen, during which he alleged that high-ranking political figures were involved in corruption and sabotage at the utility. Other incidents during his service included widely discredited claims regarding an intelligence-level tracking device found under his car seat.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Leadership Shift
When did Mteto Nyati join the Eskom board?
Nyati became a non-executive director on the Eskom board in October 2022, after turning down an offer from President Cyril Ramaphosa to replace De Ruyter as CEO the previous month.
How long did André de Ruyter manage Eskom?
De Ruyter served as the chief executive officer from January 2020 through February 2023, stepping down at the height of the national electricity crisis.
What specific incident preceded De Ruyter’s departure?
De Ruyter left the utility following an hour-long interview broadcast by E-tv in February 2023, in which he accused senior politicians of complicity in corruption and infrastructure sabotage.
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