Goodhope Dlangamandla |  goodhope@radioislam.co.za
January 25, 2023, | 15:15 PM CAT
2 min read

Photo Credit: NUMSA

The North Gauteng High Court has received documents from the trade union NUMSA to stop load shedding.

According to the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, the ANC-led government is not acting swiftly or decisively to end the damaging rolling blackouts that sabotage the country’s economy and people.

The union is the most recent party to join the legal battle against the government’s lack of electricity, which the UDM, BuildOneSA are waging, the Health and Allied Indaba Trade Union, the Soweto Action Committee, the IFP, ActionSA, and SA Federation of Trade Unions, as well as other small businesses, political parties, and trade unions.

In a statement released Tuesday, NUMSA accused the ANC-led government of failing to act quickly and forcefully to halt the damaging rolling blackouts undermining the country’s economy and people.

“In January 2018, we had excess power.” But as we sit today, this government has destroyed Eskom to the extent that it cannot keep the lights on for 24 hours.

The union stated that their part in the urgent legal action is to force the country’s president, the national government, the ministers of public enterprises, Pravin Gordhan and Gwede Mantashe, the ministers of minerals and energy, NERSA, and the board and management of Eskom, to answer for load shedding.

The legal action seeks to compel the state to exempt load-shedding in public hospitals, clinics, and schools, as well as in electronic communication networks, other networks required for mobile phone operation, all SAPS buildings, any organisation in charge of providing water, and micro- or very-small businesses dealing in perishable goods.

The appeal for the courts to postpone NERSA’s decision to impose an 18.65% tariff increase is one of the concerns covered in the legal case.

NUMSA will organise a rolling mass movement to safeguard energy sovereignty, the economy, and the workforce.

“We must remind this government that power ultimately rests with the working-class majority.”

According to the union, they anticipate the matter will be heard on February 28.