Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan should clarify the confusion over whether Jacob Maroga has resigned as chief executive officer of Eskom, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) said on Friday.

"We strongly believe the ministry of public enterprises has a political responsibility to publicly clarify our people on this matter," said the union, which has about 5000 members at the power utility.

This came after Vytjie Mentor, chairperson of Parliament's portfolio committee on public enterprises, said Maroga had personally told her he had not resigned.

"I got the shock of my life when I heard he had resigned. I phoned Mr Maroga and he told me 'No, I have not resigned'," Mentor said.

Maroga a victim of racism

Numsa was seeking a meeting with Hogan to discuss these developments, after Eskom chairperson Bobby Godsell told staff on Thursday that Maroga had quit.

The ANC Youth League has demanded a copy of the resignation letter and has alleged Maroga was a victim of racism.

Mentor called on Godsell to brief Parliament on Friday morning but later cancelled to give Eskom more time to resolve the matter. However, she warned that if this were not done by next week, the state should step in.

She would not hesitate to call Hogan before the committee to explain the situation.

"This is taking too long to resolve. We have the right to query. If the board and Mr Maroga cannot clear the confusion, the state must clear the confusion.

Long list of "unfinished business"

"It cannot be that we own these things as the government of South Africa and our ownership is only in terms of equity injections, loans, guarantees."

Mentor added that parastatal boards "cannot be allowed to run amok".

The Mail&Guardian reported on Friday that at a board meeting late last month Godsell expressed concern at senior Eskom management's ability to cope with a long list of "unfinished business".

These included producing a long-term financial stability strategy, dealing with long-term coal contracts, the sale of non-core assets, managing bad debt and providing free basic electricity.

The paper reported that Godsell had proposed that a chief operating officer be appointed to assist Maroga.

Eskom faces major challenges

It quoted the chairperson as saying: "As noted in a number of board discussions over this last year I am very concerned at the capacity of management to respond both effectively and quickly to the very major challenges now facing Eskom."

The Cape Times reported that tensions between Godsell and Maroga reached the point where both offered to quit. It quoted sources as saying the board then chose to accept the chief executive officer's resignation.

Social media sites reflected on whether Maroga's was sidelined because he was black.

One Twitter user wrote: "Strange to fire Maroga for ignoring a report. Is SA purging black leaders. Eskom woes started long b4 Maroga came."

The Democratic Alliance rejected suggestions that racism was at play.

Some racist agenda

"The facts are that if Jacob Maroga is to be removed by Eskom's board it will be because of his incompetence and not because of some racist agenda on Godsell's or the Democratic Alliance's part as the ANCYL and (Young Communist League of SA) claim."

The Mail&Guardian suggested Maroga's "demise" was related to a report on coal procurement written by energy consultant Susan Olsen.

She warned Maroga six months before the electricity crisis of 2008 that Eskom's coal division would collapse under its own weight unless serious steps were taken.

She was fired by Maroga, and, the article continued, in his comments on the report, he wrote that there was a culture of white supervision at Eskom and that there was a view that blacks were not able to lead and achieve anything of significance.

"The manner in which the Olsen report was given status and attention is one example of white supervision mentality," Maroga reportedly wrote.

That report included questions on why Eskom's coal-fired stations did not have long-term supply contracts.

Sapa

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