Experts speaking at the Joburg Indaba agree that a sustainable energy supply is critical for the growth of the mining industry. Deputy Secretary General of the National Union of Mineworkers, William Mabapa says government must make sure that municipalities pay what they owe Eskom to help save the power utility.
He says Eskom needs to deal with its bloated board and management structure to start fixing its financial and operational woes. Mabapa was participating in panel discussion at the Joburg Indaba in Sandton, north of Johannesburg.
“The problem of Eskom firstly is the problem of government; they owe Eskom indirectly because municipalities owe Eskom. When they give Eskom money they say we bail you out, in essence they don’t bail Eskom out, they owe Eskom, so they must pay Eskom what they owe. If they can firstly pay Eskom what they owe, Eskom won’t be in trouble.”
We are at #JoburgIndaba to engage with various stakeholders in the mining industry on challenges faced by the industry & propose solutions thereto. Government recognizes that reviving the economy & placing it on an upward trajectory is critical for the creation of jobs. pic.twitter.com/7mT5NeaHjo
— Gwede Mantashe (@GwedeMantashe1) October 3, 2019
