Eskom Loses Workforce, Mass Resignations Cause Concern for Power Utility, Exec Says
- Out of all the issues facing Eskom at present, the high volume of resignations in their generation department is causng executives the most concern
- Phillip Dukashe reported that 40 people in his department resigned from Eskom in December 2021
- Despite efforts to curb loadshedding, Eskom will have to implement loadshedding from the end of this month
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CAPE TOWN - Eskom is facing many challenges, but the high volume of highly skilled employees who have resigned recently is its most significant concern at present.
Many of the Eskom employees who resigned in recent months worked in the power generation department. The head of this department, Phillip Dukashe, said that the situation poses a significant risk to the power utility.
"We have lost and unfortunately are continuing to lose a lot of people within generation. Figures that we saw, we saw about 40 people being lost a month. Now that’s extremely high," Dukashe said.
Source: Getty Images
Eskom's challenges and loadshedding predictions
According to EWN, Eskom has fallen victim to vandalism, theft and sabotage, which has resulted in the power utility increasing security at its offices and power stations. One sabotaged power station is Medupi, which requires R2.5 billion to be repaired.
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Eskom has announced that loadshedding will start up again soon as it needs to reduce the load on the power grid to allow for necessary maintenance work to occur. As a result, between January and March 2022, there could be as many as 29 days of loadshedding.
Stage 2 loadshedding, or higher stages where needed, will start in April and continue until August 2022 or even later in the year. An estimated 61 days of loadshedding will occur during this period, BusinessTech reports.
South Africans react to Eskom's challenges
Louis le Roux believes:
"It is pure negligence."
La Tlhabi said
"Eskom needs to invest more in private security with help from the government like any other company in the country to protect the national assets."
Yegan de Jongh remarked:
"Bring in green energy and shut Eskom down."
Mohamed Rashid Bin Nasr shared:
"You forecast load shedding with no resolve to sort the electricity problems of our country."
Thabo Joy said:
"Eskom, do what ever you want."
DA vows to fight proposed 20.5% Eskom tariff hike
Speaking of Eskom, Briefly News previously reported that it seems South Africa will not take a shallow stance on Eskom's proposed 20.5 % tariff increase as the Democratic Alliance (DA) tackles the embattled power utility head-on.
The party embarked on a picket outside the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) public hearings at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg, on 21 January.
The DA mayors of Midvaal, Johannesburg and Mogale City, Peter Teixeira, Mpho Phalatse and Tyrone Gray, presented their objections against the proposed hike, saying it was entirely misinformed and that the party would fight intensely to stop it going ahead on 1 April.
Source: Briefly News
