Eskom stance is providing leadership towards Economic Freedom Now!

6 January 2016

The African National Congress Youth League has noted the current fight between Exxaro and Eskom. The ANCYL wants to encourage Eskom to continue with this progressive demand which is intended to transform our economy particularly and ensure the participation of black people in the mainstream economy. The ANCYL is of the view that Eskom should in fact demand nothing below 60/40 ownership so as to allow 40% stake of the youth. 

The ANCYL further wishes to request Eskom that this demand should be extended to all service providers who are giving services to Eskom, as they continue to explore ways of ending outsourcing and over reliance on service providers. We call on Eskom to terminate services of Exxaro if they refuse to honour this request.

We cannot be a nation that gets excited by the mere fact that these huge establishments provide indecent work for our nation without giving us shares and stakes as the youth and South Africans. This arrogance from private capital does nothing, but validates the ANCYL's view of nationalizing mines and other strategic sectors of the economy, for the benefit of all South Africans.

We call on the leadership of Eskom as led by the acting CEO Matshela Koko, to collect all assets of Eskom and thus of state from the white arrogant Exxaro. Mr Matshela Koko continue to participate in provide Economic Freedom to our people and youth in particular. Eskom must further conduct an investigation as to why are those assets still with Exxaro instead of Eskom as they were correctly procured by Eskom.

Whatever proceeds that Exxaro made with those assets that money must go to Eskom. We further call on state owned enterprises and government departments to take the same stance by adopting similar policy like Eskom. Economic Freedom in Life Time can only be attainable if we take practical steps such as the one taken by Eskom. 

We call on our National Assembly to make it law across all departments that for people to trade with the state and SOEs the company must have 60% ownership of black ownership. We will not be deterred from supporting Eskom on this matter. We will equally stand our ground that our movement and government must take this policy of Eskom and making a policy of the country. We don't only want jobs we want to be captains of industries and this policy of Eskom is driving us towards that direction.

Statement issued by Mlondi Mkhize, ANCYL national spokesperson, 6 January 2016