- Sy Gourrah, head of ACTOM Power Systems has resigned from the Eskom Sustainability Task Team.
- Gourrah’s resignation follows the resignation of Brian Damas soon after his appointment.
- The task team’s mandate is to advise government on how to resolve the power utility’s operational, structural and financial challenges.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Eskom Sustainability Task Team has been dealt another blow. Sy Gourrah, head of ACTOM Power Systems had asked to leave the task team in December according to Presidency spokesperson Khusela Diko.
Diko confirmed that “Sy had requested to be recused as the company she works for has dealings with Eskom and felt to that avoid a potential conflict of interest, she asked the President to release her from the panel. The President acceded to her request”.
Gourrah is the second person to resign after Brian Damas resigned soon after his appointment for the same reasons– read more. The Eskom Sustainability Task Team was set up by the President in mid-December last year after the power utility announced rotational load shedding amidst system constraints.
The task team’s mandate is to advise government on how to resolve the power utility’s operational, structural and financial challenges. The task team findings are also expected to influence the country’s Integrated Resource Plan, currently under public comment finalisation.
The six remaining members are: Former National Union of Mineworkers general secretary Frans Baleni; researcher Busisiwe Vilakazi; University of Cape Town Professor and energy expert Anton Eberhard; mining magnate Mick Davis; Tsakani Mthombeni – Chairperson of the Energy Intensive Users Group and infrastructure and regulatory economist Grové Steyn.
The task team’s recommendations are expected to be finalised by mid-January 2019.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
