Ruminations on truth to power

Aweh dearly beloved fellow ruminants & groupies

This week a book about Eskom, the South African state electricity utility, was published by André de Ruyter about his three years as CEO. He is now in hiding abroad after leaving Eskom in February. In December he survived an assassination attempt. I have now read most of this book and followed the developing news storm evolving in South Africa and in the global news.

I will add my views as an undistinguished irrelevant privileged white 62-year-old South African approaching retirement because I can. Firstly, let me disclose that I know André and prior to his departure from Sasol in 2013 I had a reporting line to him. During my 30 years at Sasol, I had many bosses some terrible and a couple truly inspirational who helped me and taught me so much.

André was one of my better bosses. He was approachable, clever, and took time and interest to interact with me. He was open-minded and respectful. I learned a lot from him. Navigating, respecting, and genuflecting to corporate dominance hierarchies was never something I was good at. André didn’t need that and gently guided me when I ruffled feathers. He would raise an eyebrow, smile gently, and treat me with the utmost respect. Most of our conversations revolved around work but we discussed many things including geopolitics, parenting, and children. A meeting of curious minds. It was a positive experience.

So, what do I think about the book?  The book is well-written, entertaining, funny, and deeply disturbing. I am surprised that he was that blunt and candid about so many people. He has pulled no punches. Perhaps surviving an assassination attempt can do that to you. The business, political and ideological lens through which André views the world is similar to mine. He eloquently lays this out. It’s scornfully called white monopoly capital by those on the opposite side of the political divide.

The purpose of today’s blog is not to provide a review of the book but to ruminate on the fallout and shitstorm that is now following this boulder being thrown into the pond.

It is well known that the current ANC government is corrupt to the core. The book details many instances of endemic corruption at Eskom. Prior to André’s tenure, the corruption at Eskom was exhaustively and forensically documented by the Zondo judicial commission involving more than 400 days of testimony and over 300 witnesses. The commission cost more than R1 billion ($52 million). Criminal prosecutions of former senior Eskom executives are now grinding their way through the courts. That Eskom and the ANC have a problem with corruption is beyond dispute.

Just over three years ago the South African ANC government tried to create the narrative that it was turning over a new leaf. The appointment of André who is not an ANC cadre was intended to signal a new dawn. The problem was that the ANC had no intention of stopping the corruption. Too many influential people were benefitting very handsomely from that. The corruption continued. It is evident that André spent much time trying to stamp out corruption at Eskom. This was not appreciated at all by the many corrupt within the ANC and a vicious backlash developed. Quite why the ANC did not appoint a loyal cadre rather than André escapes me. Perhaps they thought they could convince him to look the other way to keep his job. What a mistake.

How is the ANC responding to the book and its revelations?  With vitriolic fury and it is doing everything in its considerable power to discredit André personally and to attack aspects of the book where there is unfinished investigative work in progress. Where the evidence for the corruption is clear cut the ANC is silent. It focuses on incomplete work in progress. State law enforcement organisations were reluctant to properly investigate instances of suspected corruption that were flagged. This is carefully documented.  So, André turned to a private investigation company, George Fivaz Forensic and Risk, and secured funding for this from nervous private donors. It then turns out that this company used an investigator, Tony Oosthuizen, who is apparently an apartheid-era spy and crook. He is labelled as an apartheid-supporting racist. This quickly then becomes the story. It is very disappointing to me that respected energy analysts like Chris Yelland now also start focusing on that. The intent here is to discredit the entire investigation and bury it as soon as possible. If you can get energy experts to support, you in that endeavour all the better.

André’s boss was the veteran and highly respected ANC minister Pravin Gordhan. While André does not mince his words when describing many people, he is deferential and respectful to Pravin. Not everyone in the ANC is corrupt and Pravin has a strong reputation for honesty and frugality. How is Pravin responding to the book? Not well at all. The insults and character value judgments are now flowing freely. The romance is over. Suspicions were raised by the investigation that two senior ANC politicians were implicated in the corruption. Quelle surprise. André did not name them but told Pravin about the investigation and the names. When Pravin was summoned to parliament and asked for the names, he said André only mentioned the names in passing. I know André and this doesn’t ring true. Now the fact that the investigation is a work in progress and not forensically verified by a judge after months of testimony is being used to continue to keep the names a secret. Will the investigation be completed? I doubt it. Will a loyal ANC cadre now be appointed as Eskom CEO? The ANC will learn from its silly mistake. The official ANC narrative is that it is not corrupt and that corruption is not tolerated. Apparently, the problems at Eskom are purely technical.

What to make of Pravin? A friend suggested the analogy of the loyal and decent catholic priest whose loyalty is to the church and who then turns a blind eye to the peadophilia happening under his nose to protect the church. There are only allegations of paedophilia and he hasn’t personally caught anyone with their pants down. After all, people are innocent until proven guilty in court.

Pravin accuses André of having a big ego. Does he have a big ego? Of course, I have yet to meet a CEO who doesn’t. Does he deserve an assassination attempt? Of course, not. Does he deserve the character assassination that is now happening? Also no. It is however entirely to be expected given the nature of his book. I think André is now effectively in exile and the ANC are still sharpening their knives. He won’t be able to come back to South Africa while the ANC is in power and that could be a long time. Should he have written this book? Perhaps not. Dearly beloved readers what do you think?

André joins a long list of patriotic and well-meaning non-cadre white South Africans prepared to roll up their sleeves and try to make South Africa a better place who have been forced out of their positions.

Meanwhile, we head into winter where we have had load shedding every day this year except two. Much of it has been stage 6 (10 hours a day) and stage 8 (12 hours a day) is forecast soon. But apparently, the ANC is not corrupt. There is not enough evidence to support that scurrilous notion.

What will business do now? Stage 8 load shedding will severely constrain business. Will they now speak truth to power? Or is stage 8, not enough? Maybe stage 10 is required because the trend is clear for all to see.

Thank you for all the ideas and comments. I really appreciate them and please keep them coming.

Regards

Bruce