Mr Bongani Msomi
UDM Secretary General
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) notes the reckless statement said by the CEO of Eskom Andre De Ruyter at the Joburg Indaba two days ago. It is extremely disheartening to thousands of South Africans to hear that “electricity is cheap” when small businesses are struggling to make ends meet, communities can barely make a living due to on-going loadshedding by Eskom. It is unbecoming for De Ruyter to utter such nonsense. It is evident that positions of privilege can easily cloud one’s thinking. Electricity might be cheap in relation to certain countries, but in order to grow the South African economy, we must strive for electricity to become cheaper, more environmentally friendly and available to all South Africans.
The expose by City Press on the Ministers and their Deputies not paying for their electricity does not sit well with the poorest of the poor as their lavish lifestyles are being funded at the expense of the tax payer. This is daylight robbery.
It is vividly clear that there are leaders within the governing party, the African National Congress, who do not want to see Eskom do well. They want it to fail so that the process to privatize it can be expedited, in their favor. They are using De Ruyter and others to achieve this sinister objective. The people who will benefit are none other than their comrades in corruption. All this is happening under Cyril Ramaphosa’s watch, it is indeed a new dawn.
It is easy for De Ruyter to say “electricity is cheap” since he is earning over R7 Million per annum all-the-while not doing what he was appointed to do, solve the country’s energy crisis! South Africans want to hear about his plans for major maintenance of outdated infrastructure and on the building of new plants.
De Ruyter is delusional, he should be made to resign instead of going around broadcasting his ignorance.
Issued by:
Mr Bongani Msomi
UDM Secretary General
Its easy for Andre De Ruyter to say that electicity is very cheap in our country. He earns R7 million per year while the average working class earns much less and is stuggeling to survive. Andre just think how your are destroying our economy and country with the current loadshedding. You are only interested in money and have done very little since you were appointed to the eskom board. Have you ever put a workable solution on the table to solve the mess at eskom. So think before of other people that are not fortunate as you