Former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter recently sat down with eNCA’s Anika Larson for an interview that has tongues wagging. During the interview, De Ruyter expressed suspicion about the timing of a visit by Russia’s minister of energy, suggesting that Russia could be looking for a market for natural gas as the war in Ukraine rages on.
In response to the interview, the Central Energy Fund (CEF) has hit back at the claims made by De Ruyter. The state energy company asserts that De Ruyter is making wild allegations and that their request was actually to intensify collaboration with Eskom. The CEF has published a media release containing email exchanges between De Ruyter and CEF group CEO Ishmael Pulo, which discuss collaborating with Eskom and Mozambique for gas to power.
In the email exchange, the CEF also states that their request was to strengthen collaboration with Eskom in order to facilitate the implementation of the energy policy. This includes exploring alternative energy sources, such as natural gas, to provide sustainable energy to South Africa.
It seems that the CEF is aiming to work with Eskom to secure a reliable and cost-effective energy supply for South Africa, rather than looking to make a quick buck from the sale of natural gas. It appears that De Ruyter’s suspicions may be unfounded and that the CEF is acting in the best interests of the country.
In light of this, the CEF has called on De Ruyter to retract his remarks, which they say are incorrect and irresponsible. It remains to be seen how this situation will play out, but it is clear that the CEF is looking to work with Eskom to secure a reliable energy supply for South Africa.