The Select Committee on Economic and Business Development has urged Eskom to prioritise industrial peace at the Kusile Plant as scope of work is shrinking as a result of the looming completion of the project.
At its peak the plant employed about 20 000 people but that is now shrinking.
This was one of the main concerns of the committee and its counterpart in Trade and International Relations that made an oversight visit in eMalahleni last week. Their visit kicked off on Tuesday, March 28.
The committee emphasised that employment opportunities should not end with the construction phase of Kusile.
The chairperson of the committee Mr Mandla Rayi said it was important that as de-scoping is happening, a strategy to deal with people losing work is in place, and that the plant is delivered on time.
“Naturally, as the scope of work is reduced on any project, the result is that job opportunities will diminish as well. This is not ideal for our poor communities who rely on these projects for income, but they should appreciate that the completion of Kusile will result in reliable and sustainable supply of electricity, which in return could result in sustained economic growth,” Mr Rayi said.
The committees were happy with the contribution of the plant to the local communities, not only through job opportunities but also through imparting of skills and opportunities for small businesses.
“Employment opportunities should not end with the construction phase of the plant. Opportunities should be extended to the small micro and medium enterprises and cooperatives, that will in turn drive employment opportunities for the locals,” Mr Rayi said.
He said upskilling of people who were part of this project is satisfying even though on a minimal scale.
“The committee is concerned about sourcing of materials. Reliance should be more towards locally produced and manufactured materials in order to promote localisation. But also it was noticeable that there are a number of highly qualified engineers who are foreign nationals. These people should impart the skills to the locals, and Eskom should have a plan on how it hopes to improve the engineering skills locally.”
“There has to be a concerted effort to ensure that our people benefit from projects that are constructed in their area. This will go a long way in ensuring that the radical economic transformation is realised not only in Mpumalanga but throughout the country,” he said.
Read also:
https://www.citizen.co.za/witbank-news/83749/kusiles-first-unit-is-on-the-grid/
https://www.citizen.co.za/witbank-news/34332/video-jobseekers-invade-kusile/
