Nov. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Bobby Godsell, the chairman of Eskom Holdings Ltd., has resigned from the state-owned company that supplies 95 percent of South Africa’s power, the government said.

“The Department of Public Enterprises confirms that the minister received Mr Godsell’s letter of resignation,” Ayanda Shezi, the spokeswoman for the department, said in an interview from her mobile phone today. The department oversees Eskom.

The comments come four days after Godsell told staff that Chief Executive Officer Jacob Maroga had resigned, according to company spokesman Andrew Etzinger. Eskom is yet to make an official announcement and the Black Management Forum, a lobby group, and the youth league of the ruling African National Congress have said that Maroga has not stepped down. Maroga is back at work today as CEO, Etzinger said, adding that he isn’t aware that Godsell has resigned.

Eskom is in the midst of a five-year 385-billion rand ($52 billion) expansion program designed to address a shortage of generation capacity that in January 2008 led to the closure of most mines and metal smelters in the country for five days. The company has proposed tripling electricity tariffs over the next three years and posted a record 9.7 billion rand loss in its last financial year.

“It’s a sad situation that we’re not getting clarity,” Brian Statham, chairman of the South African National Energy Association, an industry body, said from his mobile phone today. “Eskom is a major state corporation.”

Godsell didn’t immediately return voice and text messages left on his mobile phone and didn’t reply to an e-mail.

Board Meeting

The company may hold a board meeting at 3 p.m. local time today, Daniel Dube, a director at the company, said in an interview from his mobile phone today, without giving further information. Etzinger said he didn’t know if Godsell had resigned.

Maroga was asked to resign by Eskom’s board, Johannesburg- based Business Day reported on Oct. 30, citing unidentified people at the company.

“The board has been paralyzed by this,” said Chris Hart, an economist at Investment Solutions in Johannesburg. “The board needs to be able to do its job without fear or favor. The board should be accountable to parliament and other influences should be set aside.”

Eskom has 71.77 billion rand out outstanding debt of which 53.34 billion rand is in the form of bonds, according to Bloomberg data.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ron Derby in Johannesburg at rderby1@bloomberg.net To contact the reporters on this story: Carli Lourens in Johannesburg at clourens@bloomberg.net;

Last Updated: November 9, 2009 07:41 EST