Experts doubt Eskom threats
THE Department of Public Enterprises says there are no industrial actions that will force them to involve the police and intelligence officers to protect Eskom facilities.
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan’s spokesperson, Adrian Lackay, was reacting to a Sunday newspaper report which stated that the law enforcement agencies’ primary duty was to “detect any malicious attacks” on Eskom, possibly by trade unions.
“As far as the Department of Public Enterprises is aware, no requests have been made to the police or military to protect power stations, as no industrial actions have been instituted, nor have public protests been called for at this stage,” he said.
According to Lackay, the only reference to the ministries of police and state security was their inclusion on the Inter-Ministerial Task Team on Eskom announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his reply to opposition parties debating his State of the Nation address.
“In my reading, the Sunday Times uses this as a basis for its story,” he said.
A leading expert in the energy sector, Ted Blom, has also cast doubt on labour unions violently attacking Eskom facilities in their bid to stop its unbundling. He said the report could have been prompted by growing concerns about the reactions of unions to the announcement.