Siseko Njobeni
10 November 2009
Johannesburg — THE crisis at Eskom deepened yesterday with board chairman Bobby Godsell resigning and citing lack of support from the government in the fiasco over CEO Jacob Maroga's resignation.
In a statement yesterday, Godsell blamed the government for the impasse, which has paralysed the power utility.
For the first time he also provided insight into the chain of events that precipitated the ugly row over Maroga, which led to the African National Congress Youth League accusing him last week of racism.
Godsell said that on October 28 Maroga offered his resignation, and the board accepted it. "The board's legal advice is that the resignation was quite clear in its intent, and the board was entitled to accept it," Godsell said.
However, the next day Maroga denied he had resigned, and "spurned" two offers to resolve the matter. The board offered to submit the dispute to private arbitration, but Maroga did not respond, Godsell said.
Godsell also blamed the government. "Thus far government, as Eskom's sole shareholder, has been unable either to support the board's original decision (to accept the resignation) or its two attempts at resolving this dispute," he said.
Eskom spokesman Andrew Etzinger said yesterday that Maroga had resumed his duties as CEO. Etzinger said it was never completely clear whether or not Maroga had resigned.
There was an issue of "interpretation of a discussion", Etzinger said. "Mr Maroga's interpretation was that he had not resigned, the board's was that he had. Mr Maroga had offered to resign and the board had accepted that offer ... it was in a context of a discussion and not a formal resignation."
With Godsell resigning, Maroga has won his battle to stay on as CEO. Eskom sources said last night that Maroga wrote a strongly worded letter yesterday to Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan in which he "affirmed" his position as Eskom CEO and director.
In the letter, copied to members of the Eskom executive management committee and the chairwoman of Parliament's portfolio committee on public enterprises, Maroga referred to "a shareholder at the highest level", who he said had confirmed that any action regarding his status as Eskom head "must be requested formally and granted by the shareholder. I have affirmed that no request has been formally launched and none has been granted."
It was not clear last night who the "shareholder at the highest level" was. There was speculation that Maroga met President Jacob Zuma at the weekend. Presidency spokesman Vincent Magwenya referred queries to Department of Public Enterprises spokeswoman Ayanda Shezi, who could not confirm whether Zuma met or spoke to Maroga.
But media reports said yesterday that Zuma was understood to have met Godsell. Zuma's intervention would be in contrast to the "hands-off" approach he seemed to prefer in the dispute between Transnet and one of its executives, Siyabonga Gama.
Last night, Congress of South African Trade Unions general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi denied claims of racism levelled against Godsell, describing his resignation as a "loss" to Eskom.
"Bobby Godsell is well experienced. He is a well-schooled negotiator. (He is) definitely not a racist, and (he) definitely supports transformation," Vavi told SABC news. "(He) is somebody who understands the damage of a 45% (electricity tariff increase) on the economy."
The African National Congress Youth League and Black Management Forum (BMF) were vociferous in their support of Maroga, and suggested that race had been a factor in the saga.
Vavi's repudiation of this follows an undertaking from the National Union of Mineworkers last week to support the Eskom board and the government.
Shezi said Godsell's resignation was with immediate effect. Board member Mpho Makwana was appointed acting chairman until a permanent chairman was appointed. Last night, Shezi said Godsell was the only board member who resigned. There was speculation earlier in the day that more directors were likely to jump ship.
Godsell's resignation has gone down well with the BMF. MD Gaba Tabane said: "We hope this will be an opportunity for government, the shareholder, to align the mission and the vision of the board to that of government."
Godsell replaced former Eskom chairman Valli Moosa in July last year.
With Sapa
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"OUR country badly needs clear leadership. "
Oh.
What do you know about "leadership"?
[Or it it your contention that those natives - the people of Shaka - cannot offer "leadership"?]
.
" .. deciding who should be the CEO of .. corporation, and declare that the mining industry must be nationalised. .."
We knew it: Rhodies would protect the ill-gotten native plunder!
Remember this: As far as the long-suffering patriotic natives of Shaka's lands are concerned, the economy of their lands has been in a perpetual depression ever since the vile rhodie defiled it by stepping foot on it.
As such, drastic measures are called for.
Do you remember the measures Pres Obama took when he assumed office amidst one of the worst recessions the USA - and the world - ever faced? CEOs were not spared and corporations were essentially nationalized.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. ...
.
"SA deserves better than this."
If you don't like it in South Africa, you don't have to stay a moment longer.
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