- The Gauteng High Court has granted the ANC permission to serve defamation claim papers against former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter in Germany, where he is reportedly hiding.
- De Ruyter made controversial allegations of widespread corruption at Eskom involving the ANC during an interview with eNCA, sparking demands for him to reveal the identities of the implicated politicians.
- De Ruyter’s claims are based on intelligence reports with outlandish allegations and little evidence, raising concerns about the potentially illegal nature of the private investigation and the risks posed to Eskom.
The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has granted the African National Congress (ANC) an “edictal citation” to serve papers related to its defamation claim against former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter in Germany, as reported by News24. This citation allows the governing party to serve court papers in a foreign country, with an authorized German official being responsible for delivering the papers to de Ruyter.
De Ruyter has been keeping a low profile since his controversial interview with eNCA, in which he alleged the existence of widespread corruption at Eskom, implicating the ANC. He claimed that a “high-ranking politician” was directly involved in corruption and that a “senior minister” was aware of these activities. These statements sparked widespread speculation and demands for de Ruyter to reveal the identities of the politicians involved.
In response to these allegations, the ANC denied any wrongdoing and called for de Ruyter to report the matter to the authorities, open a case with the South African Police Service (SAPS), and retract his statements about the party or face legal action. However, locating de Ruyter to serve court papers proved difficult for the ANC.
De Ruyter’s physical whereabouts remained unknown even when he appeared virtually before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) in April to give his statements. During his interview with eNCA, he had hinted that it might be in the best interests of his and his family’s safety to leave the country.
Despite de Ruyter’s claim that his life was not currently under threat and that he had not received any new threats since his alleged poisoning at the end of 2022, many parties are seeking answers to the various claims he has made. News24 investigations suggest that de Ruyter’s claims are based on several intelligence reports he commissioned as CEO, which contain outlandish allegations with little to no supporting evidence.
De Ruyter’s potential legal troubles extend beyond making these allegations on a public platform and implicating the ANC. The possibly illegal nature of the private investigation from which they were sourced is also a concern. Parliament, the State Security Agency (SSA), and the Public Enterprise’s department are questioning how unvetted operatives were granted unrestrained access to sensitive Eskom information during the investigations while authorized agencies were kept in the dark.
Scopa member Sakhumzi Moyo has also expressed concerns about the risks posed to Eskom by the investigation, as de Ruyter himself was not properly vetted. When questioned by Scopa about the senior minister and high-ranking politician he alleged were aware of the entrenched corruption at Eskom, de Ruyter remained tight-lipped, citing security and litigation risks. Instead, he directed Scopa to ask Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, who he believes is best suited to answer their questions.
Gordhan, currently in China addressing issues related to rail contracts, is expected to appear before Scopa after his trip. Additionally, Dr Sydney Mufamadi, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s security advisor and another individual named by de Ruyter as someone who can identify specific politicians, is also anticipated to appear before the committee.
Scopa stated, “The committee plans to meet these cited parties to get more information on the allegations made by Mr de Ruyter. Mr de Ruyter has told SCOPA to contact the HAWKS, Mr Gordhan, and Dr Mufamadi for further details on the allegations that he made in the eNCA interview.” De Ruyter claims to have reported the identities of the high-ranking politician and individuals allegedly involved in criminal activities within Eskom to Gordhan.
