ESXi is based on a busybox... that is really a limited Linux evironment... So probably the answer is just no.
Use the vMA instead.
OK, figured it out.
Python on esx5i is 32bit whereas on ESX4 it is python 64bit.
Simply copying csv.py, csv.pyc, csv.so to a python path from a 32bit python installed on ubuntu 32bit for instance works.