Resigning from the management of Eskom, André de Ruyter filed a complaint on January 5, after cyanide was found in his blood.
Who wants the skin of the boss of Eskom, the South African electricity company? André de Ruyter constantly denounces the mafias who loot Eskom by stealing coal or awarding themselves fabulous contracts from the company. Corruption and sabotage are one of the reasons behind the electricity crisis in South Africa. 2022 was the worst year with more than a hundred cumulative days without power. It was in this climate of hostility that André de Ruyter resigned in December.
The next day, December 13, André de Ruyer felt nauseous, disoriented and unbalanced. His bodyguards take him urgently to a clinic where a blood test will reveal an abnormally high level of cyanide. On January 5, André de Ruyter filed a complaint for attempted murder.
This is not the first time that the boss of Eskom feels threatened. At the end of September, André de Ruyter discovered a sophisticated recording system placed under the driver’s seat of his car.
His ordeal will soon come to an end as he is due to leave Eskom on March 31. But others within the company have already received death threats. Eskom spends fortunes on private security to protect the company and its employees.
“These acts are the fruit of organized crime”, recently warned André de Ruyter, describing the mining province of Mpumalanga as a “gangster province”.
In late December, the government deployed the army to four power stations to protect the facilities.
The ANC, the ruling party, calls on Eskom to tackle theft, sabotage and corruption. He also asks management to recruit world-class professionals to replace vacant positions. An international job offer for what looks like the worst job in the world.