Numsa takes legal action against government to stop load shedding

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has filed papers at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to get government to stop load shedding.

Numsa’s legal action follows a period of load shedding which was escalated to stage 6 due to a high number of breakdowns across Eskom’s generation fleet.

Households and businesses in South Africa are suffering under the devastating impact of load shedding with South Africans calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to alleviate the country from the plight of the deliberate power cuts.

Load shedding must end

Numsa national spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said South Africa needs to be saved from the rolling blackouts, Numsa national spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said.

“The ANC-led government is not moving swiftly and decisively to stop the destructive rolling blackouts that are sabotaging the economy and our people. Load shedding is destroying jobs and the livelihoods of our people and it is killing patients in hospitals.”

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

ALSO READ: ‘Load shedding poses a real risk to national security’ – ISS

National security risk

South Africa’s biggest national security threat is not from external forces from outside the country, but rather from government who is unable to provide basic services to South Africans including ending load shedding, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) said on Tuesday.

Load shedding security threats are having a huge impact on the country and people, the ISS’s Gareth Newham said.

“First of all its likely to lead to increases in crime levels… There is evidence that housebreakings have increased in some areas and some insurers have stated there has been an increase in claims for housebreakings during load shedding hours and on the weekend at a much higher level.”

“People start losing their jobs, their businesses, unemployment increases, the economy slows down. People can’t get jobs, they become more frustrated and there is no trust in the government,” Newham said.

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