Eskom chief operating officer Jan Oberholzer. Photographer: Armand Hough. African News Agency (ANA)
Eskom announced on Monday that its former chief operating officer (COO) Jan Oberholzer is leaving the beleaguered state utility at the end of July.
Eskom said in a statement the parting of ways was by mutual agreement.
However Energy Expert and Publisher Chris Yelland said the "mutual agreement " is questionable because Oberholzer had got a contract extension only two months ago to oversee the time critical projects.
Oberholzer who officially retired in April this year had been retained on a two-year contract to oversee Kusile Power Stations units one two and three.
These units were were shut down because of flue duct problems, fixing for commissioning next year of Medupi Unit 4 generation unit, the return to service of Koeberg Nuclear Plants units one and two which are undergoing life extension for the next 20 years.
"Eskom expresses gratitude to Mr Jan Oberholzer for his dedicated service, expertise and valuable contributions during his tenure. We wish him well in his future endeavours. Mr Oberholzer was on a fixed-term contract to provide support to the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station long-term operation (LTO) and Kusile Power Station projects,' the utility said in a statement.
Yelland said Oberholzer's departure adds risk to Eskom's time-critical projects, there also being the possibility that Eskom had retained Oberholzer because it lacked the internal capacity.
"Oberholzer cutting all ties with Eskom immediately indicates a dispute. The statement hides the underlying tensions between the Chairman (Mpho Makwana) and the Board that they no longer wanted him there. They must have exerted a lot of pressure and he decided he did not want this anymore. The dispute is not yet in the public domain," Yelland observed.
Oberholzer's departure follows an equally unceremonious exit of Chief Executive Officer Andre de Ruyter early this year.
An at-times cryptic public speaker, Oberholzer has been quoted warning that Eskom was akin to operating a car without proper maintenance. Eskom keeps engaging the accelerator, constantly keeping it pressed to the floor despite failing to conduct appropriate maintenance. It simply does not remedy Eskom's ailing predicament in any way. This band-aid “solution” does nothing to address the deep-rooted problems that plague Eskom. It is merely a facade, concealing the true extent of the crisis.
He has also warned that South Africa still lacks a comprehensive plan to prevent load-shedding.
“South Africa’s failure to develop a plan to avoid future load-shedding is concerning,” he said.
It’s essential for policymakers to accurately predict demand in the short-term and long-term, from the next three months to 50 years ahead.
He has said that despite the critical role Eskom plays in the energy sector, the energy crisis is a collective challenge that requires collaboration among all stakeholders and has highlighted the need to transition from coal, which has long been the primary energy source, to a diversified mix of alternative energy sources.
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