Eskom board chairperson Mteto Nyati has accused sections of the South African media of displaying racial bias in their reporting of the power utility’s turnaround efforts, claiming that black leadership at the company has not been given fair credit for recent improvements.
Speaking on This Economy, a podcast hosted by Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, Nyati said the media has shown an “unbalanced” approach when assessing Eskom’s performance, suggesting that some journalists appear reluctant to acknowledge the success of black executives at the helm.
“I was seeing racism in the media when it comes to the issue of performance,” Nyati said. “When a white person is seen failing at a particular task, the reporting tends to focus on external factors — why that person didn’t succeed, what obstacles they faced, or what circumstances made their job difficult.”
He contrasted this with how the media portrays black executives, arguing that success under black leadership is often attributed to luck or external circumstances rather than skill and competence.
“When that person succeeds, it’s all about them — they did it, they led well, they fixed it,” Nyati continued. “But when you substitute that person with a black person, suddenly people say, ‘It must be the environment,’ or ‘It’s a miracle.’ It’s as if black success can’t exist without divine intervention.”
Eskom Chair Mteto Nyati Accuses Media of Racial Bias in Reporting Power Utility’s Progress
The Eskom chair said he has observed a pattern in which the media credits improvements at the utility to anything but the efforts of its current leadership. “They’ll say we’re burning too much diesel, or that rooftop solar installations are doing the heavy lifting, or that private sector interventions are the real reason,” he noted. “It’s all these other things — but not the person. Yet when something goes wrong, it’s suddenly, ‘Of course, what did you expect?’”
Nyati said this kind of narrative reflects a deeper societal problem that South Africa has yet to confront — one that affects not only the public perception of institutions like Eskom but also the confidence and morale of black professionals striving to lead effectively. “There is that big societal issue we need to face,” he said. “It’s about recognizing competence and contribution, regardless of race.”
Nyati was comparing how the media covered Eskom during the tenure of former CEO André de Ruyter with its coverage under the current chief executive, Dan Marokane. He argued that the contrast in tone and focus reveals an uncomfortable truth about racial perceptions in the country’s public discourse.
According to Nyati, De Ruyter — who led Eskom from 2020 until his resignation in 2023 — was often praised for his leadership despite the power utility struggling under his watch, while Marokane’s recent progress in improving electricity generation and reducing load-shedding has not received comparable recognition.
“This is not the first time I’ve raised this issue,” Nyati said. “If André de Ruyter had done half of what Dan Marokane has done at Eskom, he would be called ‘Mr. Fix-it.’ Instead, Dan’s efforts are overlooked, with people saying the improvements must be due to private sector input or some miracle. Bigotry continues to cloud the judgment of some people — what a shame.”
Nyati’s remarks come at a time when Eskom is enjoying one of its most stable operational periods in years. Over recent months, the utility has managed to significantly reduce the frequency and severity of load-shedding, sparking cautious optimism that South Africa’s long-running energy crisis could be easing.
While independent analysts have attributed the improvement to a combination of factors — including better maintenance practices, new management discipline, and increased private generation — Nyati insists that the leadership team’s strategic efforts should not be dismissed or undermined. “There is a team that is working day and night to stabilize this organization,” he said. “That success belongs to them too.”
The Eskom board chair’s comments have reignited debate about how race and perception intersect in South Africa’s corporate and public sectors. Many observers have acknowledged that bias — conscious or not — still plays a role in how achievements are interpreted and celebrated.
Social media reactions to Nyati’s remarks have been mixed. Some users supported his stance, arguing that black leaders are often held to higher standards or subjected to harsher scrutiny. Others defended the media, saying criticism of Eskom’s performance has been based on accountability, not race.
Political analysts have noted that Nyati’s intervention could signal growing frustration among executives who feel that racial stereotypes continue to distort narratives of competence in the post-apartheid era. “What Nyati is pointing to is not just about Eskom,” one commentator observed. “It’s about who gets to be seen as capable in South Africa’s corporate imagination.”
For now, Eskom’s turnaround remains under close public watch. Whether the media’s tone will shift in response to Nyati’s comments remains to be seen. But his remarks have undoubtedly reopened an uncomfortable conversation about how race, leadership, and recognition are intertwined in the story of South Africa’s state-owned enterprises.
Source- Bulawayo24
