South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (right) and his Minister of Mining and Energy, Gwede Mantashe. © Gianluigi Guercia/AFP

In Focus | South Africa
Eskom's fate caught up in the clash between Ramaphosa and Mantashe

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Published on 27.06.2022 at 05:00 GMT 8 min read Lire en français

South Africa's head of state supports the development of renewable energy, yet the energy minister opposes it and is promoting the benefits of coal. Caught in the crossfire of this political struggle is Eskom's CEO, Andre de Ruyter, who has come up with a recovery plan to save the ailing company.

Suddenly, the tension reached boiling point at Utility Megawatt Park, Eskom's headquarters in northern Johannesburg on 22 April. In full flow, berating the "mess" left by the government, Busisiwe Mavuso, a member of the board of directors of the state-owned company, stood up and left the meeting room, while the company's CEO, Andre de Ruyter, remained, unmoved. Yet the chaotic situation that De Ruyter has inherited poses as great a threat to him as the criticism he is receiving does. Members of the

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Eskom's fate caught up in the clash between Ramaphosa and Mantashe