ESKOM'S R3bn OVERTIME BILL

ESKOM directors pocketed a helse R10 million in board fees during the last financial year and R3 billion was paid in overtime during the same period. 

This as mense sukkel to pay hiked electricity prices under the threat of returning to load shedding. 

Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa spilled the beans when he was responding to parliamentary questions last week from EFF MP Mandla Shikwambana, who quizzed him about the annual expenditure on overtime for Eskom employees and the circumstances under which overtime was paid.

Shikwambana also asked if the 22 board meetings, averaging two meetings per month, as reported in the 2024 annual report, were pre-planned.

In his written response, Ramokgopa said employees scored a huge R3.03 billion during the 2023/24 financial year.

The payments were for overtime work hours that was approved for an emergency during a standby period, breakdown of plants, pre-arranged plant maintenance, commissioning of plants, authorised construction work on site or critical personnel shortages only for short periods not exceeding one month, among other things.

He said 22 board meetings were held, and at least 10 were pre-planned for the period between April 2023 and March 2024. Non-executive directors were not paid per meeting but received a fixed annual fee based on their committee allocations.

Ramokgopa explained: “This fixed fee implicitly covered participation in up to eight scheduled board meetings. The remaining 14 meetings that exceeded the planned schedule did not attract any additional fees.”

Board chairperson Mteto Nyati was paid R1.3m, Fathima Gany R1 081 000, Claudelle von Eck R1 061 000, Clive Le Roux R1 058 000 and Tryphosa Ramano R1 018 000.

Other board members – Leslie Mkhabela, Busisiwe Vilakazi, Bheki Ntshalintshali, Tsakani Mthombeni, Ayanda Mafuleka and Lwazi Goqwana – were paid amounts ranging from R676 000 to R933 000. In April, Eskom raised tariffs by 12.74 percent.