DE RUYTER André - Truth to Power

DE RUYTER André - Truth to Power

When André de Ruyter took over as Eskom CEO in January 2020, he quickly realised why it was considered the toughest job in South Africa.

Aside from neglected equipment, aging power stations, and an eroded skills base, he discovered that Eskom was crippled by corruption on a staggering scale. Fake fuel deliveries as just one power station cost Eskom R100 million per kneepad retailing for R150.00 a pair was purchased for R80 000; billions of rands of equipment supposedly housed in the company's store rooms was missing. 

Faced with police inaction, he was compelled to plunge into a world that was foreign to him - a world of spies and safe houses, of bulletproof vests and bodyguards. In Truth to Power, De Ruyter tells the behind-the-scenes story of how he launched a private investigation that exposed at least four criminal cartels feeding off Eskom. While fighting the scourge, he had to deal with political interference, absurd regulations, non-paying municipalities, unfounded accusations of racism, wildcat strikes, sabotage, and a poisoning attempt.

De Ruyter takes the reader inside the boardrooms and government meetings where South Africa's future is shaped, with often pulling in conflicting directions. He explains how renewable energy is the cheapest and quickest solution to our power crisis, in spite of fierce opposition from vested coal interests.

De Ruyter candidly reflects on his three years at the power utility, his successes and failures, his reasons for leaving and his hopes for the future. As someone who worked at the highest levels of the state but is not beholden to the ruling party, he is uniquely placed to speak truth to power. Andre de Ruyter was raised in Bronkhorsspruit and Pretoria. After holding executive positions at Sasol and heading up Nampak, he served as Eskom CEO from January 2020 to February 2023. He remains keenly interested in synchronising economic growth, job creation, and environmental benefits through a just energy transition.