Eskom’s exemption: Back-pedalling proves it was a rash decision

The withdrawal of the exemption granted to Eskom regarding its disclosure of irregular expenditure proves that it was a rash decision that was taken in haste.

In addition to the initial publication of the notice of exemption in last Friday’s Government Gazette, the communication about the matter from the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, was exceptionally poor.

It set off even more alarm bells regarding the matter.

It was apparent that the consequences of granting Eskom exemption had not been carefully considered.

One of the immediate consequences was that the National Treasury and government’s credibility was cast in a bad light concerning the integrity of the decision.

The main aim, to make Eskom’s financial statements appear better, was totally undermined by the fact that greater suspicion about Eskom’s finances had been raised.

Given the ANC’s record, it was inevitable that a decision like this would evoke suspicion and even panic from the public.

It is becoming increasingly clear that taxpayers are demanding transparency, and that even well-meaning decisions by government are regarded with great suspicion.

The FF Plus strongly condemns the decision and the uncertainty that it created.

The Minister clearly followed the wrong advice and made the decision in haste.

The severe public outcry in response to the matter clearly shows that the public no longer trusts the ANC and has developed a strong sense of resistance to anything that looks like it might be an attempt to cover up corruption.

Read the original article in Afrikaans by Wouter Wessels on FF Plus

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