SUBSCRIBE
PROFILE

Eskom in governance crisis

Eskom's governance crisis continues to deepen in South Africa, with the abrupt resignation of its CEO André de Ruyter. The latter has denounced the corruption that undermines the company and has made heavy accusations against the ruling party. Eskom has appointed Calib Cassim as interim leader.

Share:

Gain full professional access to energynews.pro from 4.90$/month.
Designed for decision-makers, with no long-term commitment.

Over 30,000 articles published since 2021.
150 new market analyses every week to decode global energy trends.

Monthly Digital PRO PASS

Immediate Access
4.90$/month*

No commitment – cancel anytime, activation in 2 minutes.

START NOW — 4.90$/month

*Special launch offer: 1st month at the indicated price, then 14.90 $/month, no long-term commitment.

Annual Digital PRO Pass

Full Annual Access
99$/year*

To access all of energynews.pro without any limits

SUBSCRIBE — 99$/year

*Introductory annual price for year one, automatically renewed at 149.00 $/year from the second year.

Sign up for free to unlock this article

Eskom is currently facing a governance crisis. In fact, the company imposes on South Africans twelve hours of electricity cuts per day. This situation led to the hasty departure of its CEO, André de Ruyter, who denounced corruption at the highest level of government.

Appointment of Interim Executive

Following the departure of André de Ruyter, Eskom has appointed Calib Cassim as interim CEO. The company’s CFO since 2018 and an employee of the public company for more than 20 years, he will serve as interim CFO. The decision was announced in a statement issued by Eskom on Friday morning.

The hasty departure of André de Ruyter

André de Ruyter was due to step down as CEO of the state-owned company Eskom at the end of March. However, he resigned in December 2022, believing that he did not have the political support to effectively fight corruption. He also claimed to have been the victim of an attempted cyanide poisoning on the same day.

Heavy charges

In an interview with the private channel ENCA on Tuesday evening, André de Ruyter directly accused the ANC, the party in power since the end of apartheid. He said that “tangible evidence” shows that embezzlement benefits the ANC.

The former CEO of Eskom, in clear and precise language, made heavy accusations. In particular, he claimed that a “senior” politician is involved in the corruption that undermines the company in various forms and that at least one government minister is aware of it. He also revealed that one billion rand (equivalent to 52 million euros) is diverted from Eskom every month and that four sophisticated mafia cartels, located in the eastern province of Mpumalanga, share the sum.

Consequences of André de Ruyter’s departure

The day after the interview aired, Eskom announced that de Ruyter “did not need to serve the remainder of his notice period” and was “released from his obligations with immediate effect. No government minister has publicly defended de Ruyter, who said in the interview that he had briefed several ministers and advisers to President Cyril Ramaphosa on the extent of corruption in the energy sector.

  • Popular on energynews.pro
Premier American Uranium targets merger completion with Nuclear Fuels by September 19
Orazul Energy launches cash tender offer for its 2027 notes
Westinghouse and EDF reactors deemed viable for Slovenia’s JEK2 nuclear project
IAEA urges Iran to resume nuclear inspections as time runs out
Two sanctioned Russian LNG carriers deliver to China despite restrictions
Madison Energy Infrastructure raises $800mn to support large-scale projects
US-based Madison secures $800mn debt facility to finance energy infrastructure projects and address rising grid demand across the country.
Anglo American and Teck merge to form copper giant in zero-premium deal
The announced merger between Anglo American and Teck forms Anglo Teck, a new copper-focused leader structured for growth, with a no-premium share structure and a $4.5bn special dividend.
Voltalia unveils SPRING, a strategic plan to restore profitability by 2026
Voltalia launches a transformation programme targeting a return to profit from 2026, built on a refocus of activities, a new operating structure and self-financed growth of 300 to 400 MW per year.
Ineos pulls capital from the UK and commits £3bn investments in the US
Ineos Energy ends all projects in the UK, citing unstable taxation and soaring energy costs, and redirects its investments to the US, where the company has just allocated £3bn to new assets.
Eskom rules out summer load shedding with 4000 MW added capacity
Eskom forecasts a load-shedding-free summer after covering 97% of winter demand, supported by 4000 MW added capacity and reduced operating expenses.
GE cuts 600 energy jobs in Europe, including 120 in France
GE Vernova will cut 600 jobs in Europe, with the Belfort gas turbine site in France particularly affected, amid financial growth and strategic reorganisation.
SOLV Energy strengthens infrastructure capabilities with two strategic acquisitions
SOLV Energy expands its nationwide services in the United States with the acquisitions of Spartan Infrastructure and SDI Services, consolidating its presence across all independent power markets.
Plural raises $7.13mn to fund decentralised energy assets
Tokenised asset platform Plural secures $7.13mn to accelerate financing of distributed infrastructure including solar, storage, and data centres.
Santander injects funds into Corinex to accelerate power grid digitalisation
Santander Alternative Investments has invested in Corinex to accelerate the deployment of its smart grid solutions, aiming to address growing utility needs in Europe and the Americas.
Industrial control transformer market to reach $1.48bn by 2030
Driven by grid modernisation and industrial automation, the global control transformer market could reach $1.48bn in 2030, with projections indicating steady growth in energy-intensive sectors.
Italy faces ten-year delay on EU climate targets
A report from energy group Edison highlights structural barriers slowing renewable deployment in Italy, threatening its ability to meet 2030 decarbonisation targets.
Dr Sultan Al Jaber wins ICIS CEO of the Year 2025 award for strategic performance
ADNOC Group CEO Dr Sultan Al Jaber has been named 2025 CEO of the Year by his global chemical industry peers, recognising his role in the company’s industrial expansion and international investments.
OX2 appoints Matthias Taft as new CEO after Paul Stormoen’s departure
Swedish renewable energy developer OX2 has appointed Matthias Taft as its new chief executive officer, succeeding Paul Stormoen, who led the company since 2011 and will now join the board of directors.
Global renewable energy investments reach $386 billion in first half
Driven by distributed solar and offshore wind, renewable energy investments rose 10% year-on-year despite falling financing for large-scale projects.
Australian Oilseeds granted a reprieve from Nasdaq to meet equity threshold
Australian Oilseeds Holdings was granted a deadline extension until 30 September to comply with the Nasdaq’s equity requirements, avoiding immediate delisting from the exchange.
Fermi America raises $350mn for its energy project dedicated to artificial intelligence
Fermi America has closed $350mn in financing led by Macquarie to accelerate the development of its HyperGrid™ energy campus, focused on artificial intelligence and high-performance data applications.
Soluna crosses one gigawatt milestone with two new data centres in Texas
Soluna Holdings launched two energy projects in Texas, reaching one gigawatt of cumulative capacity for its data centres, marking a new stage in the development of computing infrastructure powered by renewable energy.
Martijn Hagens to lead Eneco from March 2026
Eneco’s Supervisory Board has appointed Martijn Hagens as the next Chief Executive Officer. He will succeed interim CEO Kees Jan Rameau, effective from 1 March 2026.
Data centres in Japan to drive 60% of electricity demand growth by 2034
With $28 billion in planned investments, hyperscaler expansion in Japan reshapes grid planning amid rising tensions between digital growth and infrastructure capacity.
Ørsted suffers historic drop and closes at around 26 USD after offshore project suspension
The suspension of the Revolution Wind farm triggers a sharp decline in Ørsted’s stock, now trading at around 26 USD, increasing the financial stakes for the group amid a capital increase.

Log in to read this article

You'll also have access to a selection of our best content.