Avin Maharaj has the know-how to sort out Eskom's Kusile plant

Johannesburg - Avin Maharaj has been appointed as the new boss at Eskom’s Kusile Power Station. Maharaj’s appointment comes just six days after Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan hinted at bringing "many good people" back to Eskom, and it appears on the basis of the minister’s comments, Maharaj was one of them. 

Maharaj, who was a consultant for a global firm at the Medupi and Kusile power stations since March last year, has a personal motto: ‘If you can’t do good, do no harm”. He returns to the power utility with over 20 years experience under his belt, including stints abroad in the Philippines.  

Gordhan gave a wide-ranging interview to Fin24 last week, where he was quoted as saying: "Many good people have left, and many top power station managers are working in the Philippines and elsewhere. 

“And what I heard is that the then-management replaced power station managers so that they could control procurement, and could manage them, and therefore manage what happened at a power station. 

“When Jabu Mabuza’s board came in, it took them a while to figure out what was going on, but by the end of 2018 they started to rotate power station managers," he said. 

The proof will be in the eating ...

Will it happen:  Nobody knows.   The only way is to sell the bloody plants off to the Private sector that will make it work,  But that would never happen.   

Absolutely Mike......totally agree.

I wish Avin Maharaj all the best in his effort to resurrect Eskom.

But, it is an issue that has allowed thousands of citizens to steal and/or not pay for electricity for a number of years now who is going to reverse that situation.

The debt load that Eskom is carrying has to be addressed and the ANC has not got the tax dollars to do that or to write it off plus the mood of taxpayers is to avoid taxes as much as possible due to the outright theft of the taxes plus which country is going to loan the ANC that type of money for a bailout.

Only China.

Unfortunately, it will take a herculean effort to turn the Eskom fiasco into a viable electrical enterprise and enforce the laws plus the backing of parliament.

Can you imagine an unemployed family living in the township who have been "free" electrical users for the past 25 years now having to pay Eskom so that they are can watch their soccer team on TV?

Not going to happen.