NUM Kwazulu-Natal region meets Umhlabuyalingana Municipality and Eskom

Press statement, 19 August 2018

NUM KWAZULU-NATAL REGION MEETS UMHLABUYALINGANA MUNICIPALITY AND ESKOM

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) had a meeting with Mhlabuyalingana Municipality on 17th August 2018 to clear issues of confusion between the municipality and Eskom employees who are NUM members.

The NUM remain committed to rebuilding the relationship between the community at large and our members.

We have found it reckless of Eskom to go public and misinform the public about sabotage of power plants. This has triggered anger from the community and has put lives of our members in danger. Together with the municipality have agreed that we need to reconcile the community with its service provider which is Eskom in this case.

NUM will continuously engage the municipality to develop a strategic relationship in order to strengthen relations and heal the wounds created during the wage negotiations impasse with Eskom.

It is our mission to ensure the safety of our members at all times, therefore, we insist that Eskom should deal with its electricity challenges instead of shifting goalposts and expose our members negatively to the Manguzi public.

Our members understand that their duty includes but not limited to the safety of Eskom apparatus and safety of people in general.

We also call for Eskom to speedily deal with the following municipal concerns:

1. All projects that are outstanding in Mhlabuyalingana (all 18 wards).

2. Improve the communication channels with the municipality.

3. Speedily deal with all outstanding planned outages to connect all complete projects.

4. Deal with the contact center back lock to cover the long waiting period while reporting faults.

5. We demand Eskom to declare publicly how many other projects are stalling in the entire Mkhanyakude district to avoid impasse with the community and its ground employees, Eskom challenges in uMhlabuyalingana area.

Eskom must speedily resolve the issue of load balancing, complete the Gezisa project and deal decisively with the issue of illegal connections in the area.

We are fully convinced that the cost curtailment strategy Eskom has implemented has negative results in the service delivery and now it creates a sour relationship between employees and the community.

We have resolved to have the follow-up meeting with the municipality and Eskom to make sure challenges are addressed and Eskom must take full responsibility and own up to its mistakes and the neglect of Manguzi area and surroundings.

For more information, please contact:

Vusi Mañana: NUM Eskom Full-Time Shopsteward in Kwazulu-Natal: 084 702 9452
Bheki Kaunda: Siyabonga Ngwenya Branch Chairperson: ‭072 966-5574‬

The National Union of Mineworkers
7 Rissik Street.
Cnr Frederick Johannesburg
Tel: 011 377 2111 Cell: 083 809 3257
Twitter: @Num_Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NUM/100860023402167