Cape Town - Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has prematurely done the country and himself a disservice in thinking a few visits to several power stations would have confirmed the rot at Eskom, as alleged by axed chief executive Andre de Ruyter.
Uncovering the malfeasance at Eskom, which has been happening for years and has arguably become institutionalised, requires skilled individuals with the authority to investigate complex cases, like the Hawks and the Special Investigating Unit.
Ramokgopa recently told a reporter that the problems facing Eskom were largely technical and that he had not been told about corruption during his visits to the power stations.
That may be so, but it sounds like he was kicking the can down the road.
De Ruyter was specific in saying that a certain cabinet minister was involved in corruption at Eskom. Until the government gets to the bottom of those claims, everything else remains a sideshow.
The least that one expected from the new minister was that he would encourage De Ruyter and even use the various provisions of the law to have him provide evidence of the alleged corruption.
Simply playing down the seriousness of the issue when so much is at stake, especially when it comes to Eskom, paints a worrying picture of the government’s alleged efforts to root out corruption.
Perhaps that should have been at the top of Ramakgopa’s agenda – to get to the bottom of the claims of corruption at Eskom.
He could have not expected Eskom employees to approach him and say that employee A has been involved in corruption for so long.
Not in an environment where whistleblowers are left to fend for themselves against powerful individuals who see themselves as above the law.
Ramakgopa’s mission to fix Eskom and end load shedding is doomed to fail so long as he displays a nonchalant approach towards the root cause of the problem – corruption.
Cape Times