Andre de Ruyter reveals why he is in a secret location

Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter said he was warned his life could be in danger which prompted him to leave South Africa and keep his current location secret.

De Ruyter spoke to Carte Blanche about his new book, Truth to Power: My Three Years Inside Eskom, in which he exposes widespread corruption and incompetence at the power utility.

When asked where he currently lives, De Ruyter told Carte Blanche that he prefers not to disclose his current location.

“I was made aware that I had reason to be careful. Rather than wait around to see if the intelligence had merit, I decided to be prudent,” he said.

De Ruyter first revealed he was leaving South Africa during an explosive eNCA interview with Annika Larsen where he implicated top politicians and criminal syndicates in Eskom looting.

Asked whether he is concerned that he may be murdered for speaking out, De Ruyter said he plans to spend time abroad after leaving Eskom. “I think that will be good for my health,” the former Eskom CEO said.

His concerns followed an alleged attempt on his life in December 2022. Doctors found high cyanide levels in his blood after he felt dizzy and disoriented at the office.

Commenting on the poisoning, he said it is difficult to speculate who was behind the attempt on his life. “There is a pretty long list of people with motive,” he said.

The ruling ANC, which has launched legal action against De Ruyter for his allegations against the party, believes he currently lives in Germany.

They successfully approached the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to grant them the right to serve De Ruyter with court papers in Germany.

The ANC sought an “edictal citation” from the court, which would grant it permission to serve court papers in a foreign country.

The court has approved the ANC’s application, and the papers will be served by an official authorised under German law.