Maroga 'resignation' unleashes a storm

Although political parties have mostly welcomed the resignation, others, including the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) and the Black Management Forum (BMA) have denounced attempts to get rid of Maroga as a plot to undermine black advancement. According to a Cape Times report, Eskom's board had to choose between Maroga and Godsell. The report speculates Maroga is trying to withdraw his resignation. He was not at Megawatt Park yesterday. 'I've got no comment to make at this stage,' Maroga is quoted as saying. Eskom officials were unable to say when the situation would be clarified. A Business Day report says that its sources claim Maroga agreed to resign but later changed his mind. Full Cape Times report (subscription needed) Full Business Day report

ANCYL president Julius Malema, however, is adamant Maroga has not resigned. He is quoted by SABC News as saying 'We've spoken to him ...and he has told us he has not resigned and we told him he must not resign. In him we see the battle for African leadership emerging in the economic sector and cluster in particular.' Malema said the Youth League would raise Eskom's problems at the weekend's ANC National Executive Committee meeting. Business Unity SA (Busa) says it is fast running out of patience with what many perceive as the circus at Eskom. Busa CEO, Jerry Vilakazi told the broadcaster: 'What concerns us at this time is the issue of energy security but primarily the way our state-owned entities, especially those that are critical to doing business in this country, are being managed. We seem to be moving from one crisis to another.' Meanwhile, Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan has issued a statement saying she was aware of the strained relationship between Maroga and the Eskom Board, and she's committed to help resolve the matter speedily. Godsell and other Eskom directors were reportedly summoned by Hogan for yet another crisis meeting in Cape Town. Full SABC News report

State-owned enterprises were being turned into 'slaughterhouses' for black professionals, is how the Black Management Forum (BMF) reacted to the resignation. The BMF said this 'appalling trend' showed a total disregard for transformation of the socio-economic landscape. Maroga had experienced a fate similar to the SABC's Dali Mpofu and Transnet heir-apparent Siyabonga Gama, it said, according to a report in The Citizen. 'We reiterate... that pushing experienced Africans to leave these positions is aimed at destroying institutional memory and experiences of Africans in the economy so that they remain at the bottom of the economic pyramid,' it said. However Jaco Kleynhans, spokesperson for the union Solidarity, said Maroga had simply not been able to manage the electricity supplier efficiently. 'The time has come for renewal in Eskom's management and that is exactly why Maroga's resignation is welcomed,' he said. Full report in The Citizen

A report on the Fin24.com site suggests Maroga is not officially out of the way despite the public announcement by Godsell - an undertaking, it says, Godsell allegedly earned by staking his own position. The report claims Godsell threatened to quit if Maroga did not leave the company, a development that also served to lever out political interference in the Eskom succession battle. In another announcement that indicated Maroga's exit was not clear-cut, a news agency quoted DA spokesperson on energy Cobus Schmidt as saying Godsell and other directors were summoned to a 'high-level meeting' after the Eskom chair told staff about Maroga's departure. Full report on the Fin24.com site Inside Eskom on the Moneyweb site

Maroga's resignation will allow for top management restructuring to attract international investors into the country, political parties said yesterday, according to a report in The Citizen. The FF Plus welcomed the resignation, saying the new developments would restore stability at Eskom and attract investors. 'His resignation will bring more certainty and investors will be more interested in SA now. Workers, middle and senior managers at Eskom will also be more motivated to do their work,' spokesperson Pieter Groenewald said. He added that Maroga should not be given 'a golden handshake' as he did not deserve any bonus. 'He has proven himself to be incompetent. We also call on government to not redeploy Maroga in any other public enterprise as chief executive officer,' Groenewald said. The Independent Democrats also welcomed Maroga's resignation saying he did the 'honourable thing' by resigning as CEO. 'Given the persistence of problems at Eskom the ID believes that Jacob Maroga has done the honourable thing by resigning,' said Lance Greyling, the party's spokesperson on energy affairs. The DA also welcomed his resignation, saying it needed 'to be followed up by further actions to ensure that Eskom is pulled out of the quagmire of gross mismanagement which is costing South Africans millions of rands on a daily basis'. Full report in The Citizen

President Jacob Zuma played no part in the Maroga matter, Hogan said. A Mail & Guardian Online report quotes her as saying 'it has come to my attention that there is an apparent breakdown in relations between the Board of Directors of Eskom and the CEO'. Government was mindful that the employment contract was between the board of directors and the CEO, which was governed by applicable labour laws that do not permit interference by the shareholder, she said, denying reports claiming that the President had intervened to prevent the board firing Maroga. Full Mail & Guardian Online report