Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe has resigned. 

Phasiwe took to WhatsApp to announce his resignation. 

At 04:28 on Friday morning, Phasiwe posted a verse from the Bible in a media WhatsApp group: "2 Timothy 4:6. For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

At 06:47, Phasiwe posted: "In this scripture, apostle Paul said in his letter to Timothy that his time of departure is nearing.

"So is mine. I have tendered my resignation from Eskom, and I'll leave at the end of this month. I did my best to serve our company and our nation, and I would like to take some time off to relax and recharge, no pun intended. Thank you for the friendship over the years, and I am sure we'll [meet] in other circles of life, God-willing. Can I hear an Amen!"

Shortly after posting, Phasiwe told News24 that it had become time for him to "take some time off". 

"I have run my race," Phasiwe said. "It is time to start afresh" 

Phasiwe said he would complete his notice period at Eskom, and said he had no immediate plans after that. 

'War zone'

"It's been a bit of a war zone [at Eskom] lately. I need time to detox before I start anything new," Phasiwe said. 

According to Phasiwe's LinkedIn profile, he has "been involved in the communications and media business for about 16 years, ranging from being a financial journalist for two of SA's leading business newspapers to being a national spokesperson of Africa's largest electricity company".

Embattled Eskom has been facing public scrutiny for rolling blackouts that hit the country recently. 

The power utility explained that the recent bout of crippling power outages was due to high plant failures, units lost because of boiler tube leaks, depleted diesel stocks and the impact of the devastation that Cyclone Idai had on Mozambique.