Pic: Siyabonga Sesant
Public Enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan has bemoaned the criminal elements at play at Eskom that are making it increasingly difficult for the embattled power utility to keep the lights on.
South Africa had been subjected to interrupted power supply for weeks on end, in part, due to what the minister said, is neglected maintenance and sabotage at some crucial power stations across the country.
The alleged tampering with coal and infrastructure, as well as rampant corruption, added to the arduous task to keep loadshedding at bay.
Gordhan was the guest speaker at the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber's 12th Annual General Meeting held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Gqeberha on Wednesday night.
Addressing a room full of delegates, including the NMB Chamber's President Loyiso Dotwana and CEO Denise van Huyssteen, minister Gordhan said the deepening turmoil at Eskom appeared to be orchestrated by insiders who were sabotaging the already crippled state-owned entity.
He elaborated on one of the biggest challenges at Eskom, that he promised was receiving attention.
"The coal that leaves the mine, is [sometimes] not the coal that reaches the power station," Gordhan said.
"So, [what happens is] some of the good coal is off-loaded, and rubble and stones and other things are put into the truck that is delivered. So that there is a value chain, if you like, of corruption that is actually going on.
He said the coal that had then been tampered with would then mess up the mills at power stations.
"Which then messes up the turbines, which then messes up the boiler... it damages the tubes in the boiler, and so on," he continued.
Gordhan said it was an issue that would urgently be raised with coal mines.
He said it was also clear the rot at the power utility was being driven by people with inside-knowledge, who have a deep understanding of how power stations operate - and how they could be damaged.
"There's been a significant level of sabotage going on where crucial parts of either cables or copper are damaged," he explained.
"So somebody very knowledgeable is doing these things... it's like an assassin who knows how to get rid of one of us. He doesn't waste time using 20 bullets, you know? One bullet is enough," the minister told the engaged audience.
"We are all at the receiving end of these things."
