Eskom gets new leadership

Johannesburg - Eskom's new chairperson and chief executive officer were announced on Tuesday.

Brian Dames would be Eskom's new CEO from July 1 and the minister of public enterprises had appointed Mpho Makwana as chairperson of the board.

Makwana, who was appointed as interim chairperson in November last year, said Dames' appointment now completed the leadership team at Eskom, and would lead it "further into a new era".

"We welcome the appointment of Dames and look forward to the stability that his appointment brings to Eskom," the parastatal said in a statement.

Dames was currently Eskom's chief officer of its generation business.

He was appointed to Eskom's executive management committee in September 2004 after serving Eskom in various management positions.

He joined the utility in 1987 as a graduate-in-training.

He has extensive experience in electricity business, and holds a BSc (Hons), an MBA, and a Graduate Diploma in Utility Management.

Last year Eskom's board fired former CEO Jacob Maroga following his denial that he had offered to resign from the electricity utility.

The appointment of a CEO had dragged out as Eskom had to wait for a ruling by the 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 judge found that although his termination was illegal, he could not re-join Eskom as his relationship with its board had broken down "irretrievably".

The court also heard that Maroga could not be reinstated because he had insulted Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan in court papers he filed to get an R85m payout for unlawful dismissal.

"The filling of these two vacancies brings to an end months of speculation, and means that Eskom can now return its full attention to its core business," a statement from the public enterprises department read.

Former chairperson Bobby Godsell resigned during a heated board meeting at which Maroga was removed from his post.

Makwana then took over as acting chairperson.
 
- Sapa