Suspended Eskom chief information officer (CIO), Sean Maritz, has resigned from the state-owned company.
In a statement issued this afternoon, the power utility says today it received a resignation letter from suspended group executive for information technology, Maritz, stating that he has decided to resign with immediate effect.
Maritz's resignation comes against the backdrop of serious charges of misconduct that were levelled against him, that would have been adjudicated at his disciplinary hearing scheduled for 8-9 March 2018.
Eskom says the disciplinary process to hold Maritz to account for any proven wrongdoing can no longer be pursued in light of clear legal precedent that a resignation by an employee unilaterally terminates the employment relationship.
Eskom has, as a result, accepted Maritz's resignation with immediate effect. However, Eskom reserves all its rights to institute legal action in respect of any damages that the company may have suffered arising from his actions at Eskom, and to enforce its legal rights under the Pension Funds Act, the parastatal says.
It adds that the board of Eskom remains committed to its mandate to root out malfeasance and maladministration as a critical foundation to restoring transparent and effective governance.
"As indicated during the interim results presentation, a key focus for the new board has been to address governance-related issues as a matter of urgency."
In January, Maritz was suspended pending an investigation into allegations of impropriety. He was initially placed on temporary suspension, which was later converted into a permanent suspension.
In October last year, the power utility appointed Maritz as interim CEO. Following the appointment, the Sunday Times published allegations that Maritz had hired a friend and fellow church member at a salary of about R100 000 a month, without declaring their friendship.
The newspaper reported that in 2010, Maritz, then Eskom's IT manager, was slapped with a "written warning" for employing his friend, Andre Coetzee, in the same department on a six-month contract.
Before he was removed, Maritz wrote a letter to global consultancy McKinsey, which stated its R1.6 billion contract with Eskom for a turnaround strategy plan was indeed lawful despite revelations that the contract was invalid. Of the total amount, R595 million was paid to Gupta-linked Trillian.
Government recently announced the appointment of new board members "as an immediate measure to strengthen governance and management at the parastatal".
In its financial latest results, Eskom's profit was down by 34% and the utility's debt is sitting at over R300 billion.
This week the company, which is facing liquidity challenges, got a R20 billion short-term credit facility from a group of banks.
Maritz was a top 10 finalist for the IITPSA's 2016 Visionary CIO Award in 2016. His Eskom career has spanned over 28 years.
Share