NUM: Load-shedding is Eskom's own fault

The struggling power utility implemented Stage 2 load-shedding on Wednesday, the seventh consecutive day of forced power cuts. 

Eskom has blamed the rolling blackouts on a lack of generating capacity. 

"We do not have enough generating capacity because of a huge number of unplanned outages that we are seeing on our power system," says Eskom's Khulu Phasiwe.

"We have to do a lot maintenance so that we can make that the situation improves for the beginning of the new week, next week."

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However, NUM's Paris Mashego believes the main contributor is a reduction in the maintenance budget, in order to cut costs, and low morale among staff members.

"It is for this reason that we call upon the dismissal of the board chairperson, the COO and the CEO who have extremely failed to implement an Eskom turnaround strategy."

 Mashego says the union is also calling on government to cancel the independent power producers programme.

"The government must cancel the 20-year power purchase agreement, the IPP vehicle of strangling Eskom and stop privatization of the people's utility."