Dr Pali Lehohla Says Former Eskom CEO Matshela Koko Should Run the Power Utility

• Former statistician-general, Dr Pali Lehohla, believes former Eskom CEO Matshela Koko should run the utility
• He said politicians and accountants are trying to run Eskom rather than engineers or economists
• The former head of Statistics South Africa said the state-owned utility had been led by an “absolute failure of strategy”

JOHANNESBURG - Former statistician-general and former head of Statistics South Africa, Dr Pali Lehohla, believes that politics should be taken out of Eskom for it to run successfully.

He said the lack of proper leadership is creating a “mess” at the power utility. Lehohla was interviewed on television when he made the remarks saying, politicians and accountants are trying to run Eskom rather than engineers or economists.

Read also

Mpumalanga woman shot & killed in front of commuters allegedly by boyfriend, police condemn killing

He said economists are needed to understand the logic, which must be translated from an engineer’s perspective.

The academic recommended former Eskom Chief Executive Officer Matshela Koko to lead the entity. According to IOL, Lehohla said Koko’s input should be listened to, which politicians are failing to do.

The former statistician-general said Eskom had been led by an “absolute failure of strategy”. He added that former Eskom CEO Jacob Maroga and Energy Expert Ted Blom have suggested what needs to be implemented at the power utility, but their suggestions fall on deaf ears.

The Mail & Guardian reported that Koko resigned from Eskom after he was charged with misleading Parliament, leaking confidential Eskom information to a Gupta associate, and accepting flights to Dubai from a Gupta ally.

Read also

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says police are allowed to spot-check foreign nationals

Eskom is expected to continue Stage 5 loadshedding will continue until the weekend.

Mzansi reacts to the comments:

@cab_delivery said:

“That will be the worst mistake the country will ever make. Matshela Koko has achieved nothing at Eskom. We don’t recycle leaders like football coaches in South Africa.”

@FedixM commented:

“The writing is on the wall! De Ruyter failed. He must start clearing his desk. Time for someone who knows what they are doing to be employed at Eskom.”

@lubbe8_g posted:

“Phali Lehohla must be off his godd*mn rocker.”

Thabo Mbeki calls for Eskom’s leadership to be held accountable for loadshedding, SA says he is to blame

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported former President Thabo Mbeki has called for Eskom’s executives to be held accountable for the energy crisis.

He was speaking at the University of South Africa’s Muckleneuk Campus on Wednesday, 21 September, when he made the remarks. During the lecture, Mbeki questioned those who made the decisions that led to the country’s electricity woes.

Read also

"A true inspiration": Lady who owns petrol station bags PhD, wins over hearts

He speculated that the management that was in charge when Eskom’s woes began wanted to increase the possibilities for black economic empowerment.

Source: Briefly News