Parastatal Eskom wants to leave its troubled past behind and focus on keeping lights on over the next seven years, its new leadership said on Monday.
“We need to draw a line in the sand, leave the past behind and work on building the organisation,” CEO Brian Dames told reporters in Johannesburg.
“We don’t want to go back to load-shedding. We want to keep the lights on in the next seven years, but it will be tight, especially in the next two years.”
To move forward and prevent rolling blackouts, everyone in South Africa had to help because Eskom could not do it alone, it said.
“Our purpose is to provide a sustainable electricity solution … and double-up the electricity system and deal with challenges.”
He said there were specific imperatives over the next few years and that as South Africa’s economy grows from now to 2030, so too must the power-generation capacity.
“It’s about adding capacity and making sure its available to all South Africans. Right now, some people still don’t have electricity. We want to electrify the country and improve the quality of life.”
Confident
Although the supply balance remained tight, Eskom was confident of a positive path to recovery.
Reporters heard that the build programme was on track to rehabilitate old power stations to increase electricity supply.
The Camden power station was reopened on Saturday by President Jacob Zuma, adding a 1 440MW capacity to the national grid.
Chairperson Mpho Makwana said the board was satisfied with the utility’s new direction.
“We have certainly turned a significant corner in terms of changing the organisation. The key thing is that the CEO has the full backing of the executive committee.
“We now look forward with excitement as our new strategy is created. We [board] are very satisfied with the new direction Eskom is taking … Things could never be better,” he said.
The company had started a capital division, a supply chain function, and a performance management system.
A full strategic review of Eskom had begun and it would be looking at how management should behave and set a tone in the company.
The new leadership said it had also engaged with staff, trade unions and international experts.
“We need investors to trust in us with their money, we want to be a trusted adviser … We therefore cannot have a separation of leadership from the rest of the staff. We are now working with them.”
The state-owned enterprise also intended coming out with cleaner options to move towards becoming a green energy company.
“We want to be the best company to work for … and we are aiming to become one of the top five companies globally,” said Dames.
More timely information
The utility serves more than 4,6-million customers and its latest annual financial results showed it had returned to profitability.
For the first time, its interim results would be published, on November 23, to provide all stakeholders with more timely information on its financial situation and its operating performance.
Makwana took over as chairperson when Bobby Godsell resigned after a heated board meeting where former CEO Jacob Maroga was removed from his post.
Last year Eskom’s board fired Maroga following his denial that he had offered to resign from the parastatal.
The appointment of the new CEO dragged out because Eskom had to wait for a ruling by the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg that Maroga could not stop the board from appointing a successor.
Maroga wanted to be reinstated to his former position, but the court found that although his termination was illegal, he could not rejoin Eskom as his relationship with the board had broken down “irretrievably”. — Sapa