Johannesburg – The African National Congress (ANC) is piling on the pressure on former Eskom Group Chief Executive André de Ruyter to “lay criminal charges” regarding allegations of corruption he made against the party of Nelson Mandela.
Just days after De Ruyter was prematurely let go by Eskom, the ANC on Sunday said, “we reiterate our call to Mr. De Ruyter to lay criminal charges, with verifiable details about his serious allegations, to allow law enforcement agencies to investigate”.
In his much-publicised interview with eTV, De Ruyter made damning allegations against the ANC and an unnamed minister.
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On Sunday morning, the ANC said De Ruyter must report the allegations he made on eTV to the SA Police Service so that where appropriate, those who have a case to answer must be prosecuted.
The ANC said it was consulting with its legal team concerning statements made by De Ruyter, in which he alleges wrongdoing and criminality against the organisation.
“The ANC is firmly committed, through promoting and supporting policy, legislation, and action, to deal with any acts of corruption – or other forms of criminality – and to hold any perpetrators to account,” the ANC said in a statement attributed to Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, the ANC National Spokesperson.
“Corruption and criminality are implacable enemies of development and our commitment to building a better life for all.”
Stung by De Ruyter’s allegations the ANC said, “we draw attention to the provisions of Section 34 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, 2004 (Act 12 of 2004), which makes it illegal for any person in a position of authority not to report an act or information of corruption or criminality.
“To date, the ANC is not aware of any action taken by Mr. De Ruyter in this respect.
“The ANC urges Mr. De Ruyter to fulfill his constitutional and legal obligations to officially report to the police any act of criminality and/or illegality he is aware of within the next seven days.”
Last week, after he was let go by Eskom, De Ruyter reportedly said he planned to leave South Africa for safety reasons.
De Ruyter has since been replaced by interim acting Group Chief Executive Calib Cassim, whose first move was to lower load-shedding to Stage 5.
