Andre de Ruyter
Where is Andre de Ruyter now? Image: Twitter/Andre de Ruyter

Home » De Ruyter’s book ‘Truth to Power’ exposes Eskom’s dark secrets

De Ruyter’s book ‘Truth to Power’ exposes Eskom’s dark secrets

Former CEO of Eskom, André de Ruyter, has made waves in South Africa with his tell-all memoir, Truth to Power. With cool-headedness and dry humour, de Ruyter tells his story of his three years working for the infamous electricity company. From neglected equipment, ageing power stations and crippling corruption on a massive scale, de Ruyter has […]

By Carmen Coetsee
19-07-23 15:33
in Books
Andre de Ruyter
Where is Andre de Ruyter now? Image: Twitter/Andre de Ruyter

Former CEO of Eskom, André de Ruyter, has made waves in South Africa with his tell-all memoir, Truth to Power. With cool-headedness and dry humour, de Ruyter tells his story of his three years working for the infamous electricity company.

From neglected equipment, ageing power stations and crippling corruption on a massive scale, de Ruyter has seen it all and, luckily, wrote it all down. Truth to Power is a revolutionary book that reclaims the truth around South Africa’s current energy crisis written by someone who was on the inside.

DE RUYTER’S MEMOIR UNCOVERS DARK UNDERBELLY OF POWER

Tackling something as complicated and ever-shifting as SA’s power problem ran the risk of being difficult for readers to follow. However, de Ruyter unpacks complex bureaucracy, history and politics with simple language and humour.

Besides being well-written, Truth to Power is also extremely comprehensive. The reader is left with a clear understanding of our current energy crisis and a gratefulness to the man who has pulled back the curtain on the inner workings of the energy giant.

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That being said, this is not an easy book to get through. Readers go behind the scenes and see the dark underbelly of power, fuelled by staggering corruption, clear disregard for fellow South Africans and heinous lies.

However, de Ruyter ends his book with a message of hope to his successors and to his fellow countrymen.

“I rest secure in the knowledge that I have left it all on the field. To my successors I say: You have no shortage of challenges, but the right building blocks have been laid- if you choose to build on that foundation. […] I know the scoreboard doesn’t look that great right now, but the second half is yet to be played”. – André de Ruyter in his memoir, ‘Truth to Power’.

‘TRUTH TO POWER’: AN OVERVIEW

When André de Ruyter took over as Eskom CEO in January 2020, he quickly realised why it was considered the toughest job in South Africa.

Aside from neglected equipment, ageing power stations and an eroded skills base, he discovered that Eskom was crippled by corruption on a staggering scale. Fake fuel oil deliveries at just one power station cost Eskom R100 million per month. Kneepads retailing for R150 a pair were purchased for R80 000. Billions of rands of equipment supposedly housed in the company’s storerooms was missing.

Faced with police inaction, he was compelled to plunge into a world that was foreign to him – a world of spies and safe houses, of bulletproof vests and bodyguards. In Truth to Power, De Ruyter tells the behind-the-scenes story of how he launched a private investigation that exposed at least four criminal cartels feeding off Eskom. While fighting this scourge, he had to deal with political interference, absurd regulations, unfounded accusations of racism, sabotage and a poisoning attempt.

Former Eskom CEO’s tell-all memoir, ‘Truth to Power’. Image via Twitter @PenguinBooksSA.

De Ruyter takes the reader inside the boardrooms and government meetings where South Africa’s future is shaped. He explains how renewable energy truly is the cheapest and quickest solution to our power crisis. As someone who worked at the highest levels of the state, he is uniquely placed to speak truth to power.

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MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

André de Ruyter was raised in Bronkhorstspruit and Pretoria. After holding executive positions at Sasol and heading up Nampak, he served as Eskom CEO from January 2020 to February 2023.

He remains keenly interested in synchronizing economic growth, job creation and environmental benefits through a just energy transition.

Truth to Power is published by Penguin Books and is available for purchase from Exclusive Books stores for R350.

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