Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Local Government Affairs Media statements | Media statements

De Ruyter’s allegations adding fuel to electricity tariff fire

ByAfriForum 23/02/202323/02/2023

André de Ruyter’s notice period, which was shortened by more than a month, is proof to AfriForum that De Ruyter’s increased public transparency about corruption at Eskom and who’s involved is the reason for this decision. De Ruyter already submitted his letter of resignation in December and was only going to leave the energy giant at the end of March, but after an agreement at a special board meeting, he was sent packing with immediate effect.

Morné Mostert, Manager of Local Government Affairs at AfriForum, says that when it comes to tariff increases, the National Energy Regulator (Nersa) must take these allegations of corruption from someone with intimate knowledge thereof into account. President Cyril Ramaphosa specifically mentioned corruption at Eskom in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) as well as on various other occasions saying that 43 arrests had already been made, besides all the credible revelations already made in the media.

“The effect being this dire loadshedding that the country is now facing. Why are these corrupt operations not considered when Nersa grants tariff increases of almost 20%? A question that needs to be answered.”

Dr Eugene Brink, Strategic Advisor for Community Affairs at AfriForum, says that De Ruyter has intimate knowledge of the power supplier, therefore, his allegations about high-ranking ANC officials’ involvement in Eskom’s corruption must be taken seriously. “These are not the first allegations he has made about endemic corruption, and it is not just a so-called state capture problem. These allegations, and those of other whistle-blowers, should have been investigated earlier, but instead, it seems easier to just silence them.

“Eskom’s board failed the country and their organisation by terminating De Ruyter’s employment prematurely when they could have simply taken his and other role players’ allegations seriously and thus tried to save Eskom. This makes a mockery of Ramaphosa’s promises during the State of the Nation Address to do justice at Eskom and eradicate corruption,” concludes Brink.