Eskom whistleblower Bianca Goodson urges others to 'do the right thing'

Whistleblower Bianca Goodson says she is proud that Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has invited her to talk to senior staff at the power utility.

Goodson wrote to De Ruyter, asking him to, among others things: actively employ whistle-blowers, consider donating a fraction of the funds received through litigation to the whistle-blowers who had lost their livelihoods in Eskom, and formally and publicly demonstrate gratitude to those who have lost more than Eskom during their efforts to progress the company.

She said the letter was to highlight her efforts in combating looting at Eskom.

“I implore you to make a difference and publicly support the whistle-blowers, like myself, who have helped Eskom,” the letter reads.

Goodson, a former Trillian CEO, released a statement in September 2017 providing evidence the Gupta-linked firm was a sham which swindled hundreds of millions of rand from state-owned enterprises Transnet and Eskom.

De Ruyter responded to Goodson’s letter and invited her to address senior executives and managers at Eskom for them to “learn” from her experience, “but also for us to act as a potential launching pad for your venture, should you wish to proceed with it”.

“As is customary with such invitations, there will be a modest speaker’s fee associated with this event,” he said.

De Ruyter commended Goodson for her single-minded courage to speak up for the truth and the law, “even when this was clearly at considerable cost to you and your family”.

Goodson, who is unemployed, said about De Ruyter’s response: “I feel proud.”

She describes herself as an anti-corruption advocate who dedicated her skills to law enforcement, civil society and investigative journalism, and supporting efforts in combating money laundering.

She said her immediate goal was to look for a job so she could support herself and her daughter. “I simply need a job and I hope that’s part of my future,” she said.

She encouraged those who knew and were exposed to acts of corruption to do the “right thing”.

“I encourage people to have hope and faith and not give up on doing the right thing.”

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