EFF says Gordhan, De Ruyter must take blame for Eskom woes as load-shedding continues

29 June 2022 - 13:54
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Eskom said labour protests were causing operational disturbances on top of generation plant breakdowns. Stock photo.
Eskom said labour protests were causing operational disturbances on top of generation plant breakdowns. Stock photo.
Image: 123RF/rclassenlayouts

The EFF says public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan and Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter are to blame for the instability as the power utility continues to implement stage 6 rolling blackouts. 

Eskom implemented stage 6 load-shedding on Tuesday amid a strike by employees over a wage dispute. It said the protest caused disruptions at its power plants, despite three of its 10 generation plants returning to service on Tuesday. Eskom said this was not enough to prevent load-shedding. 

The opposition party also criticised Gordhan for “avoiding accountability” during Tuesday’s media briefing on Eskom’s woes.

Gordhan said some Eskom employees were unable to report for duty because they were being threatened by striking members.

The EFF said load-shedding is a deliberate crisis to justify calls for Eskom’s privatisation. 

“For Gordhan to blame the rolling blackouts, which are due to no plan to increase energy generation capacity, on protesting workers is pathetic. All South Africans must reject with contempt the attempt by de Ruyter and Gordhan to attribute SA’s energy crisis to the legitimate strike by workers at Eskom.”

The EFF said load-shedding would not stop even if striking Eskom employees returned to work and suspended their strike. It said if blackouts continue, businesses will suffer. 

“As long as Gordhan and De Ruyter remain in their positions, small business owners, large business owners and ordinary people must forget about improving their lives and emerging out of demoralising poverty,” said the party. 

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