DA Wants Minister Pravin Gordhan and Eskom CEO André de Ruyter to Appear Before Parliament

• The DA would like Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and Eskom CEO André de Ruyter to explain their latest statement
• Eskom announced that unit one at Medupi Power Station was finally completed and fully operational but more information is being demanded
• The power utility did say that it would take about a year for the unit to contribute to the national grid

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Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan and Eskom CEO André de Ruyter are being called on the Democratic Alliance to appear before Parliament and explain their latest statement.

The party plans to send a letter to Khaya Magaxa, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, requesting that Gordhan and De Ruyter adequately explain Eskom's latest comments.

Eskom made an announcement that one of the Medupi Power Station's units in Lephalale has finally reached commercial operational status, according to Capricorn FM.

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However, Eskom has warned that bringing the power station up to full capacity and transmitting electricity to the national grid will take another 24 months and R13 billion.

Cachalia says while South Africans can take comfort in Medupi Power Station being online, however, Eskom's statement ignores vital issues the power utility has, according to SABC News.

“It is important that full transparency is provided about the problems and the issues that may plague the power station in the future," said Cachalia.

The completion of unit one, according to Eskom, is an investment that will benefit generations of South Africans and power the economy for at least the next half-century.

2 Eskom unions plead with Government to step in and assist the power utility

Briefly News previously reported that Eskom unions the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) and the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (Numsa) are pleading for Government to swiftly step in to stop Eskom from heading into business rescue as SAA did.

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Num General Secretary, William Mabapa, and Numsa General Secretary, Irvin Jim, hve addressed a letter to Deputy President David Mabuza, asking for a meeting to talk about the financial problems of the power utility.

The unions emphasise that they are afraid for the jobs of their members seeing as Eskom seems headed in the same direction as SAA went a few years ago.

Unions affiliated with Eskom are afraid of crippling financial issues

According to SABC News, the unions and Eskom management are presently waiting for a date for arbitration of their wage dispute. The two unions say they fear that an arbitration ruling in their favour could financially cripple Eskom.

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Source: Briefly News