The chief executive of South Africa’s state power monopoly Eskom told police he survived an attempt to kill him with cyanide-laced coffee, according to a government minister.
André de Ruyter was allegedly targeted a day after he posted his resignation from the blackout-prone utility last month, before going public. He blamed the lack of support from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government during the fight to prevent the worst blackout in Africa’s largest industrial nation and to tackle corruption in the company.
Pravin Gordhan, the minister who oversees Eskom and other state-owned companies, on Saturday confirmed that de Ruyter had told him about the alleged attempt to poison him. “This attempt on his life will be fully investigated and those responsible must be prosecuted,” Gordhan told the Financial Times.
De Ruyter, who will remain as Eskom chief executive until the end of March when a replacement is found, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The alleged poisoning underscores the threat to Ramaphosa’s campaign to root out corruption from South Africa’s state-owned enterprises, the linchpins of the economy, even after he strengthened his grip on the ruling African National Congress in December with re-election as leader.
South Africa’s EE Business Intelligence first reported on Saturday that de Ruyter fell seriously ill after drinking coffee at Eskom headquarters and was taken to a doctor who discovered high levels of cyanide.
De Ruyter told the publication: “I have reported the matter [the South African police] on January 5, 2023, and the case can be considered under investigation.
The Eskom crisis is seen as the biggest threat to South Africa’s economy and the ANC’s power in decades ahead of next year’s national elections.
In 2022, South Africans will experience twice as many power outages as the previous year due to breakdowns in Eskom’s aging fleet. Newer coal plants are also constantly failing. Power cuts continue throughout the South African holiday season and into the new year.
De Ruyter made many enemies after his appointment in late 2019, as he launched an investigation into allegations of a criminal syndicate accused of disrupting blackouts by stealing supplies from coal-fired power stations and attempting sabotage to fix problems.
He is always protected by bodyguards, as are other senior executives and also some power plant operators in the company.
“Don’t mistake Mpumalanga for being a gangster province,” de Ruyter told the FT in October, referring to the coal-producing region where many of Eskom’s power stations are located. “We’ve had contractors shot in their cars on the way to site because they didn’t give jobs to the right people.”
The alleged attempt to kill de Ruyter “shows a fierce battle between those who want South Africa to work and develop; and those who want to create their own corruption,” said Gordhan.
Heavily indebted Eskom has struggled to fund plant maintenance and solar charging needed for emergency power backup.
In its belated annual financial report released last month, Eskom’s auditors warned of “significant lack of control” in the supply of coal, fuel and spare parts to power plants. In one incident, the auditors added, key documents were “deliberately destroyed in a fire” after being requested.
South Africa has seen an increase in politically-related murders in recent years, from ANC politicians to state officials and anti-corruption whistleblowers. Activists have warned of a spate of killings in retaliation for corruption investigations and threats to patronage networks.