The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) welcomes the arrest of the contract worker who reportedly stole copper cables worth R4000 and commends the security officer who apprehended this thief and the law enforcement for taking swift action in instituting prosecution.
While Eskom maintains a zero-tolerance policy against criminal activities, the fact that associates feel comfortable engaging in copper theft raises significant concerns. This incident prompts us to question how many times the thief managed to evade detection before being caught and why he felt secure enough to pass through protected areas with such a large quantity of copper. We wonder how many successfully steal without detection?
Eskom has launched an anti-corruption campaign and a platform for whistle-blowers amidst the rampant corruption that has resulted in piling debt and loadshedding. Corrupt activities such as procurement fraud, mismanagement of funds, embezzlement, theft and sabotage have led to the dysfunction of Eskom, resulting in its failure to fulfil its public mandate of producing and supplying electricity. Failure to invest in the generation and the subsequent loadshedding that unfolded created opportunities for corruption syndicates to loot through maintenance and procurement. These activities have significantly undermined Eskom’s operational efficiency and financial stability, contributing to its ongoing crises.
The lack of accountability for corrupt activities in this country is what has precipitated crisis at State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) such as Eskom, which, in the long run, has affected the lives of the citizens. The Global Corruption Perception Index in 2023 has listed South Africa at number 41, which is a very disappointing position to occupy on a global scale out of 195 countries with corrupt activities in the public sector. The people in governance and law enforcement have shown little to no enthusiasm for the apprehension of those responsible for Eskom’s downfall.
SAFTU has always lamented and called on the government to clamp down on the corrupt syndicates, including workers who aid and abet corrupt activities at Eskom, sabotaging it so that they can benefit through contracts.
SAFTU acknowledges the efforts that have temporarily halted loadshedding. Whether this was for electioneering or not, it is commendable. Further, we demand lasting solutions to fix Eskom permanently. That is, significant investment in Eskom by the state, the reversal of the unbundling, and the brutal crushing of the corrupt syndicates who create wasteful leakage of money and put Eskom in a precarious financial position.
The federation remains steadfast in its commitment to advocating for the fixing of state entities and ensuring that the state plays a greater role in the ownership, production and provision of social goods and services. Since corruption is one of the foremost sabotages of public ownership, we reiterate our call for the brutal crushing of corrupt individuals at SOEs and public institutions.