Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) member and African National Congress (ANC) MP Bheki Hadebe has described Eskom Board member Busisiwe Mavuso’s recent comments as incomprehensible.
On Friday last week, there was a heated exchange of words during Scopa’s oversight visit to Eskom.
Mavuso walked out of the meeting after saying the ANC was to blame for Eskom’s challenges, following a war of words with Scopa Chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa.
Hadebe says the current Eskom leadership knows that the country has high expectations from them.
“We appointed professionals based on their individual qualifications and expected them to turn the situation at Eskom around. When we appointed these professionals, we did not expect them to only focus on the past. We wanted them to turn the situation around,” adds Hadebe.
Below is the interview with ANC MP Bheki Hadebe:
However, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Shadow Minister of Public Service and Administration, Dr Leon Schreiber, says what Mavuso said was the truth.
“I and the DA certainly applaud Ms Mavuso for having the courage. We actually hope that we will get more officials, more Board members to come forward in Parliament and speak the honest truth. Instead of criticising people for speaking the honest truth, even and when especially it’s uncomfortable, we should really be lucky to have a Board member like that,” says Schreiber.
VIDEO | Heated argument erupts during SCOPA’s oversight visit to Eskom:
Mapaila criticises Mavuso
The South African Communist Party (SACP) first Deputy Secretary Solly Mapaila has criticised Mavuso for her comments.
Mapaila says the comments are shocking.
“That announcement was shocking to us and completely unacceptable. In fact, it showed some people when they are deployed on the basis of their professional capacity they just don’t know what to do. Their task and the task of this current board is to turn around Eskom, to deal with state capture [and] to address problems of corruption,” he adds.
The video below is reporting more on Eskom and its financial challenges:
Public Enterprises condemns Mavuso’s comments
The Department of Public Enterprises has issued a statement strongly condemning Mavuso’s comments.
The department has described Mavuso’s comments as regrettable and her conduct unbecoming of a Board member of Eskom.
A video posted online appears to show Mavuso walking out of a boardroom.
Public Enterprises says in a statement that it is unfortunate that Mavuso brought party political issues into the oversight meeting and it is giving the matter serious consideration.
