Andrè de Ruyter
André Marinus de Ruyter (born 20 March 1968) is a South African businessman who previously worked at Sasol and Nampak.
Eskom Holdings – Directors as at 23 February 2023
In December 2019, he was appointed CEO of Eskom, South Africa’s state-owned electricity company.[1] On 14 December 2022, it was reported that he would soon step down as CEO of Eskom.[1]
De Ruyter published a book, Truth to Power in May 2023, which detailed his three years at Eskom, and the level of pillaging, looting and political interference that contributed to the energy provider’s downfall.
Early life and education
De Ruyter was born in Pretoria in 1968.[2] He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pretoria, a Bachelor of Civil Law certificate and Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of South Africa, and a Masters of Business Administration from the Nyenrode Business University.[2]
Description
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, ageing power stations and an eroded skills base, he discovered that Eskom was crippled by corruption on a staggering scale. Fake fuel oil deliveries at just one power station cost Eskom R100 million per month; kneepads retailing for R150 a pair were purchased for R80 000; billions of rands of equipment supposedly housed in the company’s storerooms 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 this 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 ministers 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.
