Jabu Mabuza resigns as Eskom chair
Businessman Jabu Mabuza has resigned as a member and chairman of the embattled Eskom board.
Mabuza resigned on Friday while apologising for Eskom’s inability to keep the lights on.
In a statement released by the Presidency, Mabuza addressed the controversy around allegations that President Cyril Ramaphosa was misled by the board on the power utility’s ability to keep the lights on during December and January.
During a meeting with the power utility’s board and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan in December, Ramaphosa was given the assurance that no load shedding will be implemented until this coming Monday.
However, the dreaded rolling blackouts made a comeback a mere four days into the new year.
This prompted Ramaphosa’s deputy David Mabuza to accuse the cash-strapped entity’s top leadership of misleading his boss.
“Mabuza apologised for Eskom’s inability to meet the commitment it made to the President,” the statement reads.
Ramaphosa has vowed to announce a re-configured Eskom board soon “with the appropriate mix of the electricity industry”.
“Government continues to support the measures being taken by Eskom to restore reliable electricity supply as a matter of priority.”