Zuma 'saved Eskom boss'

Johannesburg - On Friday President Jacob Zuma intervened to prevent Jacob Maroga being sacked by the Eskom board.

As a consequence, the Eskom board has been embroiled in an fierce dispute with government - led by Barbara Hogan, Minister of Public Enterprises and her deputy Enoch Godongwana.

Since the weekend various other members of Cabinet have also become involved. Meanwhile, Eskom is apparently leaderless and the electricity giant's lips are sealed.

Official spokespersons have for days been embarrassed by requests for information, and unable to provide answers.

"It's tremendously disconcerting that the leadership of an organisation that has so much strategic significance for the whole country has been paralysed in this way by intervention from politicians," Sake24's source, a top official and major player in the electricity industry, said on Tuesday.

According to the source, on Thursday evening Eskom's board, following a two-day monthly board meeting, decided that Maroga should vacate his post. He was formally asked to resign, but refused - which implies that he was fired.

The same evening the news that he had to go was leaked to a newspaper, which published it on Friday morning.

Early on Friday morning Zuma came to hear of it. He immediately ordered Hogan to intervene and prevent the dismissal.

"Certain protocols and processes that needed to be followed to terminate Maroga's services had at that point not been finalised. This enabled Hogan to block the process," explained Sake24's source.

A furious squabble has since been raging between the board and government representatives.

From other sources Sake24 determined that on Friday morning Hogan and Godongwana together visited Eskom's head office at Megawatt Park in Sandton.

Hogan and some of her Cabinet colleagues are now attempting to put pressure on the members of Eskom's board to change their decision about Maroga.

There is apparently even talk that the board may be given its marching orders.

On Tuesday Hogan's spokesperson, Ayanda Shezi, declined to comment on the issue.

Themba Maseko, spokesperson for the presidency, said the presidency had no comment.

The main reason for the board's dissatisfaction with Maroga is ostensibly his handling of the report by Susan Olsen. in July 2007, six months before the electricity crisis, Olsen, an American energy consultant, warned Maroga in a comprehensive report that Eskom's coal division "would collapse under its own weight" unless serious steps were taken.

Olsen had worked exclusively for Eskom for two years. Her contract was terminated within days of the July 19 2007 interview with Maroga, in which she herself had brought the seriousness of the crisis in the coal division to his attention.

- Sake24.com

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