Nehawu, Numsa call for removal of Eskom board, Gordhan

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’Union (Nehawu) has added its voice to calls for Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and the Eskom board to be removed.

It says it welcomes the resignation of Eskom board chairperson Jabu Mabuza and is now calling on the rest of the board and Gordhan to follow suit.

Mabuza resigned after admitting that he had failed to keep his promise that there would be no load shedding before January the 13th this year.

Nehawu spokesperson Khaya Xaba says, “As Nehawu we welcome the resignation of Jabu Mabuza from Eskom. We believe that the board and the minister of public enterprise Pravin Gordhan must also follow suit because they’ve misled the president and two they’ve been twiddling their thumbs while Eskom has been crumbling.”

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The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) wants Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordan and the entire Eskom board to be removed.

NUMSA’s Phakamile Hlubi-Majola says, “We believe that this is certainly a positive step in the right direction. We also want to emphasise that at the same time while we make the demand for the entire Eskom board to be removed, we also repeat the demand for the Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan to also be removed from this portfolio. It is our view that he, together with the board of Eskom, is directly responsible for the collapse that’s taking place, not just at Eskom, but for the collapse at SAA.”

‘Independent person’

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says the resignation of Eskom board chairperson has created an opportunity for the government to appoint an independent person at the power utility.

It says bold steps are required to fill the new key positions with competent individuals at the board level.

DA’s Ghaleb Cachalia says, “This resignation provides a particular opportunity to restructure the board and to introduce a fully independent chairperson in that role. That incoming chairperson required particular attributes to be able to negotiate and deal with relationship management with the industry regulators, independent transmission grid operators, and the national energy regulator.”

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