Examining the politics of leadership within state-owned entities: a case study of Eskom

Abstract

Leadership is at the heart of both prospering and struggling enterprises, driving their successes and failures. The investigation of public leadership is especially important, since leaders in public organisations work in complex and demanding environments that are constantly shifting. This study investigates the nature of leadership in SOEs in general and Eskom in particular. Eskom has become central to national debates on governance, political interference, and institutional decline. The research is driven by concerns about persistent leadership instability and governance failures at Eskom that have contributed to various operational disasters. The study examines how political appointments (i.e., cadre deployment) and compromised leadership have influenced Eskom’s performance over the past 15 years. A qualitative interpretive methodology was used, drawing on documentary analysis, leadership reports, commission reports, and peer-reviewed literature. Thematic analysis based on document triangulation was used to identify patterns across the data, with a particular focus on leadership decisions, governance structures, political influences, and the ways in which these elements have intersected to shape institutional outcomes.