Jacob Maroga is no longer CEO of Eskom, the  electricity parastatal said on Thursday.

“Mr Maroga’s resignation was clear and unambiguous and was  accepted,” acting Eskom chairman Mpho Makwana told a media briefing  at Megawatt Park, Eskom’s headquarters.

“However, the board recognised that this brought about  uncertainty at Eskom,” he said.

Makwana said he and the board had  been tasked with guiding the parastatal through difficult times  until a new CEO and chairman had been appointed.

“Our key task is to ensure that Eskom continues to provide  continuous secure electricity. It is also our task to help heal the  organisation and to ensure that the pain some employees feel is  replaced with a sense of belonging, a sense of price and team  sprit,” Makwana said.

“Eskom relies on the resilience of its employees.”

He said Eskom was financially stable and the organisation was  preparing for its important tariff application.

The announcement ended days of speculation about Maroga’s  position at Eskom, following a power struggle between him and the  former chairman of Eskom’s board, Bobby Godsell, who resigned  earlier this week.

Makwana said he had held “extensive meetings” with Maroga. “The last meeting I had with him lasted most of yesterday  [Wednesday]. It started around 11am and ended at 4.30pm. I’m  satisfied that Mr Maroga has resigned and we now have to move on.”

Makwana said that if Maroga “still had doubts”, SA was  a country where the rule of law operated. “Then we let the law take  its course,” he said.

Asked if Maroga had received “a golden handshake,” he replied  that the former CEO had resigned. “There is no golden handshake. He leaves like any other employee  who has resigned.”

Makwana said the board had “all the documentation” surrounding  Maroga’s resignation. “Eskom now doesn’t have a CEO and we are  seeking one.”

Turning the appointment of a new chairman, he said this was the  prerogative of the shareholder (government).

Asked why it had taken two weeks to comment on the issue of  Maroga’s position, Makwana said that the board had tried to “solve  the problem amicably”.

“Our steps were frustrated and yesterday [Wednesday] the board  decided it had done all that could be done and we decided to move  on.”

Asked about continuity, he explained that Eskom had senior staff  in place to ensure that adequate operational support was in place.

Asked if Godsell would return to the board, Makwana said it was  Godsell’s right to withdraw his resignation, “but this would have  to be resolved between Godsell and the shareholder”.

According to Makwana, any large organisation such as Eskom, which has over 30 000 employees, would see the resignation of its CEO as an upheaval. “CEOs come and go all the time, and they leave their footprints. Mr Maroga has left a strong footprint as he has been with Eskom  for over 15 years.”  — Sapa