Protest at Eskom looming
They will begin picketing on Monday 14 September outside Tutuka Power Station.
The Eskom Tutuka Power Station Stakeholders Forum will be leading a picket and a march from 14 to 18 September.
The forum consists of Sanco, Nafcoc, the Lekwa Taxi Association, Thuto Kekgumo, the Youth Forum and the Lekwa Development Foundation.
They will begin picketing on Monday 14 September outside Tutuka Power Station.
The full-blown protest will be on Friday 18 September.
According to Mr Nicholas Selepe, Sanco zonal convener, they have been in talks with Eskom about employing locals when hiring and also giving business opportunities to local companies.
“They initially agreed to our proposal and later went back on their word and awarded a company from Govan Mbeki Municipality a cleaning tender of about R21-million,” Mr Selepe said.
He also said they acknowledged that most of the jobs at Eskom require technically skilled people, but some do not.
“They agreed to ring-fence the non-technical vacancies for locals, but they have not delivered to date.”
He said Eskom is working with recruitment agencies, not based locally, and they employ people from other towns.
“These agencies are from places such as Balfour and eMalahleni (Witbank) and they recruit people from those areas.”
According to him young people have been applying for bursaries, using Eskom’s online applications, to no avail.
The forum also wanted Eskom to ensure that cooperate social investments occur in the community, such as the R26-million clinic Anglo American built and to give transportation opportunities to the local taxi association.
Mr Selepe said private companies, not from Lekwa, are transporting Eskom employees.
The forum will submit a memorandum with a list of their demands to the Eskom Megawatt Park’s representatives on the day of the protest.
According to the forum, buses will transport residents from Morgenzon, Standerton and Sakhile to Tutuka.
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