When it comes to reporting in specialist areas, the best journalists are often those who have technical expertise in that sector. For instance, the late investigative journalist Barry Sergeant was a qualified advocate, skills which helped him negotiate the legal minefield that accompanies all serious challenges to the financially crooked. Similarly, mining journalism’s doyens Lawrie Williams and late Adam Payne and David Gleason all spent years in hard hats and breathing in the dust from underground. So when it comes to understanding the mess that is Eskom, our go-to guy is electrical engineer-turned-journalist Chris Yelland. In this fascinating interview on Rational Radio, Yelland applies his mind to the apparently shock resignation of the utility’s chairman Jabu Mabuza – and issues which need addressing if the cynics who say SA is on the slide are to be proven wrong. – Alec Hogg
Chris Yelland in full voice is even more forthright than Chris Yelland the writer. And in this podcasted interview, he pulls no punches about the mess that politicians have made of South Africa’s power equation – one that continues apace despite the hundreds of billions being ploughed in by taxpayers.
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Yelland shares the back story to why the resignation of Eskom chairman Jabu Mabuza was no surprise to insiders, and explores why, for electrical engineers like himself, the real solution lies outside the technical arena and inside the political one.
He is astonished that sensible people give any credence to calls for president Cyril Ramaphosa to switch Eskom away from competent Pravin Gordhan into the portfolio of coal-supporting, renewable-blocking Energy minister Gwede Mantashe. Yelland notes, too, that despite all the evidence against it, there remains a strong nuclear lobby within the ANC caucus – something he believes to be driven either by genuine ignorance or those with self-serving corrupt intentions.
This is one of the most insightful interviews you’ll listen to on the Eskom saga. One which identifies the issues in a rational manner, explains what needs to be done, and identifies where the obstacles to genuine progress are coming from.
A must listen to anyone who wants to understand what’s happening at Megawatt Park. Including the newly installed Chief Executive Officer Andre de Ruyter, bless him.
