Sunninghill-based power utility company Eskom said on Sunday that South African police are looking into whether there was an attempt made to poison Andre de Ruyter, outgoing CEO of the public utility.
The head of security of the energy utility company said in a statement that the company cannot comment more on the alleged poison attack against the outgoing CEO as the matter is under police investigation.
André Marinus de Ruyter, who is a South African businessman was appointed as chief executive officer of Eskom in December 2019. Soon after he was appointed head of the energy utility company, André de Ruyter took stern action against corruption and organized criminal behavior within the organization.
Certain groups of individuals planned and executed targeted sabotages against the power production and supply infrastructure of Eskom to take advantage of the crisis. High levels of corruption and irregularities resulted in cost overruns and the shutting down of facilities. This resulted in power cuts and shutdowns.
South Africa which is the largest economy in the African continent was facing regular power supply issues due to crises within and outside Eskom. In December 2022, south African news portals reported that André de Ruyter has decided to step down from the post of CEO as he failed to find a solution for the crisis within Eskom.
News reports suggest that André de Ruyter was unable to perform his duties freely as he lost support from the larger political communities. The crackdown on corruption and decisions to bring back order in the company has not gone down well with the politicians in the country.
Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan told news agencies on Sunday that there will be a thorough investigation into the poisoning incident which allegedly happened in December 2022. The alleged cyanide poisoning was first reported by specialist energy publication EE Business Intelligence on Saturday.
In December, Gwede Mantashe, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy criticized Andre de Ruyter for acting as a policeman in Eskom. He also alleged that the company was trying to overthrow the South African government.
Democratic Alliance, a major opposition party in South Africa said that strict action should be initiated against criminal syndicates who are trying to destroy the South African economy by holding control of Eskom.
The police department or security authorities has not made any statement or press release regarding the ongoing investigation. A request for a statement from Malegapuru Makgoba, chairman of Eskom remained unanswered to date.
