Outgoing Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter survived an attempt on his life in December, a day after he resigned from the power utility. According to a report by energy expert and EE Business Intelligence publisher Chris Yelland, De Ruyter allegedly drank a coffee laced with cyanide at his Megawatt Park office in Sunninghill, Johannesburg. The report states that after drinking a cup of coffee, De Ruyter became weak, dizzy and confused, shaking uncontrollably and vomiting. He subsequently collapsed and was unable to walk. He was rushed to the doctor by his security personnel where tests were taken and it was confirmed that he had been poisoned and had an excessive amount of cyanide in his body.

CALLS FOR ARRESTS

The DA has called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to make sure that the suspects are found and brought to book. DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises Ghaleb Cachalia said this was an act of a criminal syndicate and nothing short of a mafia movie. "Criminal syndicates within Eskom are palpably hell-bent on cementing their stranglehold on Eskom that is destroying the economy. It is clear that they will stop at nothing. All this worthy of a mafia movie now plays out while the ANC does nothing to secure our electricity supply despite DA requests to take decisive action." In a statement Eskom's head of security advocate Karen Pillay said it cannot comment as the matter is subject to police investigation.

INVESTIGATIONS

Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that a case of attempted murder was opened at Hermanus Police Station in the Western Cape on January 5. "The case has been transferred to Sandton Police Station and will be investigated by the Gauteng Provincial Investigation Unit," said Masondo. De Ruyter took office in 2020 and he resigned on 14 December, amidst political pressure over constant black out. His last day in office will be March 31.