Confusion reigns tonight over the future of Eskom CEO Jacob Maroga and now that of the board of Eskom as well. Today, Eskom Chairperson Bobby Godsell announced to staff that Maroga had resigned but this has yet to be officially confirmed either by Eskom or the Department of State Enterprises which has the final say on the matter.

Amid the confusion, the ANC Youth League (ANCYL), a staunch backer of Maroga in his ongoing battle with the board, has denied that he has resigned. The league has called Godsell a bluff, insisting Maroga still heads the power utility.

The ANCYL President, Julius Malema, says: “We've spoken to him as the Youth League leadership 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 added that the League is going to raise Eskom's problems at the weekends ANC National Executive Committee meeting. " It cannot be that in that department we are forever permanently having a problem whereas we've got a minister who is supposed to provided political leadership. We are going to raise this matter with the National Executive Committee of the ANC this weekend, that our people are ill- treated in the parastatals and they are ill treated by white minorities."

Union leaders at Eskom have also come out in support of Maroga. The National Union of Mineworkers of South Africa`s Shop stewards' Phutas Tseki says: "We wouldn't want Jacob Maroga to leave under these conditions. We wouldn't want any influence from outside for the removal of Maroga." 

Business Unity of South Africa (Busa) says it is fast running out of patience with what many perceive as the circus at Eskom. Busa CEO, Jerry Vilakazi says: “What concerns us at this time is the issue of energy security but primarily the way our state- onwed entities, especially those that are critical to doing business in this country are being managed. We seem to be moving from one state owned entity to another with one crisis to another crisis and this must be an issue that worries all of us."

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. By late this afternoon, Godsell and other Eskom Directors were reportedly summoned by Hogan for yet another crisis meeting in Cape Town.