Cosatu Wants De Ruyter to Stay As Eskom CEO Until Replacement Appointed Despite His "Unimpressive" Performance

• Trade union federation Cosatu has urged the government to ask Andre de Ruyter to stay at the helm of Eskom until a replacement can be found
• This comes as De Ruyter plans to vacate office in March, but the trade union thinks a new CEO will not be appointed in time
• Cosatu claimed that the outgoing CEO's alleged assassination attempt will hinder the search for De Ruyter successor

JOHANNESBURG - With outgoing Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter's resignation from the ailing power utility fast approaching, trade union Cosatu wants De Ruyter to stay on until a replacement can be found.

The trade union's spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said Cosatu wanted De Ruyter to stay on even though the union was unimpressed with the CEO's performance.

Cosatu feels that as a result of the alleged assassination attempt on the outgoing CEO, Eskom will struggle to find a replacement by the time De Ruyter resigns in March, EWN reported.

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South Africans call for national shutdown in protest against ANC and Eskom as Stage 6 loadshedding rocks SA

Pamla said it is important for someone who understands the power utility to remain at the helm in order for Eskom to stay afloat. However, Cosatu cautioned against filling the CEO position with the chairperson, claiming it would blur the lines of accountability and leave the utility in limbo.

De Ruyter's alleged assassination attempt makes headlines

The news that someone made an attempt on De Ruyter's life took South African newsrooms by storm. But what particularly raised eyebrows was the timing of the alleged assassination attempt.

According to News24, the Eskom CEO confirmed that doctors detected elevated levels of cyanide in his blood stream on 13 December, a day after he submitted his resignation but two days before it was public knowledge.

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Eskom CEO survives assassination attempt after drinking coffee laced with cyanide, leaves SA concerned

De Ruyter allegedly fell started vomiting and shaking after drinking a cup of coffee at Eskom's Sunninghill offices. He eventually collapsed and was rushed to hospital where doctors confirmed he was poisoned.

South Africans call for national shutdown in protest against ANC and Eskom as Stage 6 loadshedding rocks SA

In another story, Briefly News reported that fed-up South Africans are calling for a national shutdown in protest of the African National Congress and Eskom, as frustrations about loadshedding bubble over.

This comes as South Africa's struggling power utility, Eskom, indefinitely thrust the nation into Stage 6 loadshedding on Wednesday morning, 11 January.

According to IOL, the power utility said it was forced to increase stages of rolling blackouts due to 11 generators breaking down since Tuesday morning, 10 January.

Source: Briefly News