Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter’s disclosure on eNCA of the criminal extent of corruption operating within Eskom confirms that under the ANC, South Africa has not only become a failed state but also a Mafia state.
De Ruyter made reference to four highly organised, sophisticated crime cartels that control the coal supply to power stations. He noted that they have well-armed hit squads, eliminate opposition at will and operate as a Mafia.
He observed that crime and corruption are hierarchical and deeply entrenched. Deliberate, ongoing sabotage of equipment ensures that those with maintenance contracts are kept busy and fraudulently rewarded exorbitant sums for their labours. De Ruyter also pointed out an unnamed big wheel politician had shamelessly claimed Eskom was a feeding trough “for some people to eat a little bit.”
Predictably, official responses have attempted to downplay De Ruyter’s disclosures. Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele dismissed them as “insulting”. The ANC-dominated Central Energy Fund called them “reckless”.
Of course, those who were aware of the crime and sabotage at Eskom, like Gungubele, but lack the political will to expose it, are now running for cover while disingenuously insisting the government is committed to “cleaning up” corruption.
However, the most significant aspect of what De Ruyter has exposed and over which an absolute silence prevails is: What has the National Intelligence Service (NIS) been doing all this time? Were they aware of what De Ruyter has disclosed and, if so, why was corrective action not taken? Sabotaging the country’s electricity supply is more than a threat to national security, it is an act of war.
The silence of the NIS and all those in the ANC-riddled fabric of every aspect of governance confirms that, from top to bottom, the ANC is a criminal syndicate, as John Steenhuisen has described them.
De Ruyter is an exceptionally brave and honourable man, a rare example of honesty and integrity. One hopes no harm comes to him.
* Dr Duncan Du Bois, Durban.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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