Load shedding sets in amid Eskom wage dispute
Updated | By Pieter van der Merwe
Striking workers allegedly threatened staff and disrupted services at a number of the utility's power stations on Thursday.
Eskom implemented stage one load shedding on Thursday evening to prevent blackouts, due to a constrained grid, which it blames on striking employees.
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) picketed outside the power utility's offices in Johannesburg on Thursday, while other workers gathered outside several power stations.
"We had about, I think, four of our power stations that were severely affected," said Eskom spokesperson Dikatso Mothae.
#PowerUpdate: Due to severe power constraints, Eskom will implement stage 1 of loadshedding from now (17:50) until 20:00. Acts of intimidation and sabotage have resulted in Eskom being unable to ensure uninterrupted power supply. @SABCNewsOnline @afroworldview @JacaNews @IOL
— Khulu Phasiwe (@KhuluPhasiwe) June 14, 2018
Her colleague Khulu Phasiwe earlier told Jacaranda FM News that some of the employees have been threatened, infrastructure damaged, and coal deliveries disrupted.
"Some of our people are intimidated right where they live," explained Phasiwe, adding certain employees received death threats.
He said one worker had been hospitalised.
Eskom meanwhile announced its willingness to return to the negotiating table after initially saying it will not be able to afford wage increases.
The load shedding is set to continue until 20:00 and Eskom has called on consumers to use power sparingly on Thursday night and Friday morning.
Consumers can refer to the existing load shedding time tables on Eskom's website.
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