Sipho Pityana, the president of Business Unity SA, said what everyone is thinking and many are saying to the government: you’ve got a crisis and you’d better deal with it.

Pityana, who is also chairperson of AngloGold Ashanti, was a leading voice against the corruption and maladministration under then president Jacob Zuma, becoming one of the most outspoken proponents for his departure.

Pityana’s opening comments at Busa’s second Business Economic Indaba highlighted the issues that industry has red-flagged for years, with the crisis at Eskom at the forefront of concerns...