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The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) Highveld Region is highly concerned by the indefinite implementation of stage 6 load shedding, under the watchful eyes of the Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, which is now acutely crippling the country’s fragile economy.

The implementation of stage 6 load shedding has become a normal daily routine, making lives of the country’s poor people very difficult. It appears now that the country is stuck in a permanent stage 6 load shedding.

The NUM Highveld Region is situated in Mpumalanga province where most Eskom power stations are located.

“Our observation as the NUM Highveld Region is that the Units that are tripped are never brought back online in time and this is due to lack of capacity and commitment from the Eskom management

“We are also calling on Eskom to immediately bring back Units that are switched off at Hendrina power station. The country is in a crisis so we cannot seek to impress the proponents of coal power stations’ closures”, said NUM Highveld Regional Chairperson Malekutu Bizzah Motubatse.

The ongoing roll-out of load shedding is not assisting the economies of most poor local communities. By normalising the ongoing roll-outs, that on its own might result in the increase of unemployment and poverty.

Instead of focusing on bringing the tripped Units back ,those who are responsible are focusing on how they can milk the already bloodied cow.

As a region, we have already lost confidence on the Minister Ramokgopa. In our view the Minister is lost, he is like a navigator that has lost its direction during a journey.

When appointed, we hoped the Minister would meet us for proper guidance and advices but he decided to engage other people who are clueless how the Eskom boiler or turbine works.

This Minister is not bringing any hope, he would not bring any changes. Instead, the country is about to experience the worst stages of load shedding ever under his leadership.

Lastly, the NUM will soon be convening its own Energy Indaba in the Highveld Region to look at concrete and progressive solutions that will be submitted to the government going forward.

We are hoping that our own Energy Indaba will rescue this country from a quagmire. We will be able to rescue the Eskom grid from a total collapse.

Issued by NUM Highveld Region