By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan has announced that Eskom chairman Mpho Makwana will step down from the state-owned electricity utility’s board.
“Makwana will utilise the remainder of October to hand over to the new interim chairperson of the board,” the public enterprises department said in a statement. It did not say why Makwana was leaving.
“I thank the minister for the positive [and] amicable manner upon which we conclude my tenure,” Makwana said in the same statement. Gordhan thanked Makwana for his contribution “during the most difficult time for Eskom”.
“Our efforts to stabilise Eskom and restructure it into three subsidiaries — generation, transmission and distribution — remain on track,” said Gordhan. “As government, we are committed to ensuring that Eskom has the right skills, talent and experience to support our pursuit of a more secure energy future for South Africans.
Makwana’s departure comes amid tensions between Gordhan and the Eskom board over the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer.
Mteto Nyati will sit as the interim chair.
Nyati is a former CEO of MTN’s SA division and Altron, and he recently announced he was stepping down as a board member of Nedbank and Telkom.