NUM rejects the Eskom business model that is in courtship with private capital

24 October 2028

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) rejects the agenda of privatising Eskom as imposed by the latest business model is a mere tool aimed at destroying almost 90 000 jobs in Eskom and in the coal mines.  It is also an unfortunate attempt by the government to circumvent, NUM and COSATU  as well as the Congress movement resolutions that means of production must be in the ownership of the state, basically for development purposes. Corporatisation and ring-fencing in the early 2000’s failed and almost trillion rands were lost in the process.

The Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers (REIPPs) are milking ESKOM. ESKOM is buying Electricity from the REIPPs by R2.14 and sell it at 89 cents. It is also shocking that Eskom is buying R93 million daily to service the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) of IPP's.  This arrangement is clearly unsustainable.  We demand that it must be scrapped.

We call upon the government and the Thuma-mina board to refrain from any attempt to privatise Eskom.  It is an expensive exercise that will exacerbate Eskom debt. Instead of privatisation, we call upon government to improve and strengthen governance and efficiency of parastatals with a zero political interference in the management of the parastatal.

The NUM has resolved to mobilise society and owners of the utility to embark on a programme of destabilizing the country should the government continue with the jobs bloodbath in Eskom and amongst government employees.

The programme will be launched on the 10 October, through a march to Union Building in Pretoria.

Issued Livhuwani Mammburu, NUM National Spokesperson, 24 October 2018