ANC gives de Ruyter 7-day ultimatum
JOHANNESBURG - The ANC has threatened to file criminal charges against former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter if he doesn’t report his allegations of corruption at the power utility, backed with evidence, to law enforcement agencies in seven days.
The party said de Ruyter was bound by law because of his former position as the head of the power utility to report acts of corruption.
Reeling
The ANC was still reeling from de Ruyter’s accusations that corrupt acts were conducted at Eskom, in which he also implied that Cabinet ministers were involved.
Since de Ruyter’s revelations, the party’s senior leaders criticised him for most of last week.
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula and Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele labelled him as a ‘failure and right-wing’.
Comments
The ANC was still angered by the comments made by de Ruyter during a television interview last Tuesday, with the party saying on Sunday that it was in consultation with its lawyers about de Ruyter’s comments.
ANC Spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said on Sunday that the party reiterated its call for de Ruyter to lay criminal charges, supported by verifiable evidence, about the corruption he alleged took place at the power utility.
She said an active criminal case would allow law enforcement agencies to act by probing and possibly prosecuting any ANC member or public representative who may have been involved in the corruption activity.
“We draw attention to the provisions of Section 34 of the Prevention and Combating Corrupt Activities Act, 2004, which make it illegal for any person in authority not to report an act or information or corruption and criminality.
“To date, the ANC is unaware of any action taken by de Ruyter in this respect.
‘‘The ANC urges de Ruyter to fulfil his constitutional and legal obligations to officially report to the police any act of criminality and illegality he is aware of within the next seven days,” Bhengu-Motsiri said.
The party has threatened to file charges against de Ruyter for contravening Section 34 if the seven days lapse without a case being opened.
Angered
De Ruyter left Eskom last week following his television interview. The interview angered the Eskom Board, who accused de Ruyter of bringing the organisation into disrepute.
His notice was terminated immediately from last Wednesday.
De Ruyter was set to leave the company at the end of March, following his resignation in December last year.