WATCH | 'He is the hero, we're in nappies': Gordhan accuses De Ruyter of using apartheid tactics

In a 15-minute tirade, public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan did not hold back his punches in describing his views of former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter. 

Gordhan, who was briefing parliament's standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) on Wednesday on De Ruyter’s allegations of corruption at Eskom, said he was an “arrogant leader who requires humility”. Gordhan said De Ruyter used apartheid-like “swart gevaar” tactics to besmirch Gordhan and the ANC during a live interview with Annika Larsen.

“I was shocked at the interview and its content. Somebody sent me a clip. I forwarded the clip to him [De Ruyter] expecting a response but no response came.

“He maligned individuals but then went to the extent to utilising 'swart gevaar' tactics. Which everybody conveniently forgets when they write what they write.

“For those of us who were activists during the 1970s and 1980s it reminds us about what the apartheid state, in particular PW Botha and company, used to mobilise white voters at the time and how they were able to characterise all of us as terrorists of one kind or another. So does that mean all of this is about politics in addition to being about some personal issues? That's a question you have to ask yourselves.”

De Ruyter released a tell-all book of his time at Eskom on Sunday which alleges he told Gordhan and Sydney Mufamadi, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s national security adviser, the names of two top politicians implicated in the sabotage at Eskom and Gordhan was not surprised. Gordhan denies this and offered a different explanation.

“The few people who've gone through [De Ruyter's] book or his various articles, which I haven't, indicate this in very simple terms: the only hero in South Africa is De Ruyter and the rest of us all fools and only he knows what's best and only he knows what corporate governance means and doesn't mean, and the rest of us are still in our nappies, apparently, and we should stand at his feet and learn from him,” said Gordhan.

“Some human beings find it hard for their egos to take a knock. I believe there's something in the book about Nampak as well. So you've got to keep explaining yourself as to why you find yourself reputationally in a particular position. And in this instance you do it [to] cover up his failure.

“He didn't fail entirely. I think the work that he did in relation to a just energy transition was good, although he showed very poor accountability. And so that was another example of a lone ranger operating.

“So what is singularly lacking and has been lacking is a simple thing called humility. And all of us require it from time to time, whatever level of arrogance we might have assumed about ourselves. Because if you don't have humility, you don't have [the] ability to listen. You don't have the ability to reflect. You don't have the ability to take other people's ideas, if your ideas are not good enough in this situation.

“Well, that's what I learnt over 50 years of activism. It might not apply to these very sophisticated people who think they are much better than all of us, put together or individually.

“And everything now is about enhancing one individual's reputation and making sure anyone who stands in the way is lathered with another kind of brush to indicate how stupid they are, how inadequate they are, how idiotic they are, because at the end of the day, as some people have pointed out to me, there's only one hero in town.

“I have to emphasise I'm not here on trial, so you can ask me to help you to clarify certain things. But I want to be quite emphatic that I have done nothing wrong that I have to explain.

“I don't care where you come from, if there's evidence against you in the aspect of corrupt activity, pay the price. End of story.”

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