Expatica news

S.Africa’s state-power firm gets new CEO

The South African government announced on Wednesday the appointment of a new chief executive to lead the troubled state-owned power supplier Eskom.

Cabinet said Tshediso Matona was “conversant with the challenges” facing the firm which provides about 95 percent of the country’s electricity.

The former director general of the trade and industry ministry has held several top government jobs and was South Africa’s trade negotiator at the World Trade Organization.

He takes over from Brian Dames who stepped down end of March, citing personal reasons after nearly four year at the helm.

Eskom has been struggling with meeting supply for the country’s growing electricity demand.

Eskom is currently involved in the construction of two mega coal-fired power stations to meet supply, while playing hard to avoid blackouts.

The vital parastatal has been hobbled by years of underinvestment and ageing infrastructure, and governance problems.