Zola Tsotsi, director and chairman of the board of Eskom, has stepped down after a lengthy deliberation by the Eskom board on a vote of no confidence  on Monday, 30 March. Dr Ben Ngubane has been appointed acting chairperson.

According to a statement issued by Eskom, this step will allow Eskom to set out on a new path to win back the confidence of their stakeholders.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Tsotsi stated that the board had a “unity of purpose”. His decision to step down was in the best interest of the company and will allow the board to focus on the core issues facing Eskom.
Speaking on behalf of the board,  Ngubane thanked Tsotsi for the selfless decision he has taken in placing the interests of the company and the nation first. Dr Ngubane also thanked Tsotsi for his valuable service to Eskom over the years and wished him well in his future endeavours.

The motion of no confidence follows after accusations that Tsotsi interfered with operational matters after Eskom suspended four of it’s top executives who were suspended on 11 March to allow the board to conduct an inquiry in to the status of the utility.

This move comes in the wake of long-standing issues faced by the power utility’s struggle to meet energy demands in the country and regular load shedding, as well as continuing labour unrest at the incomplete Medupi power station. The latest being the firing of 1 000 workers because of an illegal strike last week when over 2000 contract workers went on strike over living conditions and better pay.