25 arrested for public violence during Kusile’s strike

Community members have vowed to bring Kusile Power Station to a stand still should their demands not be met.

A group of around 600 protesters coming from Phola, Ogies, surrounding farms, Emalahleni, Delmas and Bronkhorstspruit gathered at the Power Station on Wednesday, April 5. They have been to Kendal Power Station and Duvha Power Station already and there are more Power Stations they aim to visit. One of the organisations that took part in the strike was New Way Youth that is based in Vosman, they said that they were concerned that the majority of local people are not hired.

“We must be first preference,” said the Chairperson of the organisation Mr Enock Nyamunda.

Some were carrying dangerous weapons and stones while others were carrying posters printed with their demands which include disagreement about procurement processes, removal of Eskom’s Interim Chief Executive Officer Mr Koko Matshela and the proposed closure of four power stations in the province.

The mob came to receive feedback from management concerning those demands following a memorandum they submitted previously.

The meeting on Wednesday was scheduled for 08:00 and by 06:00 the community was already at the gate.

“We were highly disappointed when the Head of the Power Station Mr Prish Govender did not come and speak to the crowd as per agreement.”

He alleges that majority of the cars there have a Gauteng Province (GP) registration number of which he interprets as people coming from the province and not Mpumalanga. He strongly believes that whatever capabilities those people have, they can match it too.

With regards to the shutting down of some Power Stations, a memorandum was already submitted at Megawatt Park. Kendal Power Station was also approached and they were willing to assist. It is alleged that 30 people have been hired already.

“We will be visiting the power stations one by one until we find a solution that will be beneficial for everyone.”

Asked if the different organisations have the necessary skills and qualifications he answered yes as they do have a database, which shows who is capable of what.

On the day, Head Office stated that they were not available for comment which saw all hell breaking loose, with protesters getting very angry and violent.

They started to pick up stones, kicking the entrance gates of the Power Station wanting to gain entry forcefully. They threw stones at police, security guards and buildings. Those that were there climbed on top of the fence that secures the premises. With the aim of maintaining peace and to keep people safe, members from the Kwa-Mhlanga Public Order Policing, Phola and Ogies Police Vispol members and Kusile Power Station Security joined forces and managed to control the violent protesters.

As a result, 25 people (18 females and seven males) got locked behind bars for public violence. They were detained at Phola Police Station.

Phola Police spokesperson Cst Thabang Mabena said in terms of the Regulation of Gathering Act 205 of 1993, people have the right to Assembly, Demonstration, Picket and Petition – provided people do so peacefully and unarmed. Some Gatherings and demonstrations start spontaneously and people do not go through the procedure required by the Regulation of Gathering Act. Technically, these are ‘unlawful’ as a result. Society can demonstrate dissatisfaction, but must be within the scope of the Law.

The crowd dispersed around 16:00. Protestors appeared on Thursday, April 6 at the Witbank Magistrate Court and were granted bail of R1 000 each. They will appear again on Monday, May 29 at Ogies Magistrate Court.

Phola Police Station Commander Lt Col Nape Matlala and Ogies Police Station Commander Capt Amos Mlangeni warned community members not to participate in any illegal strikes because they may be arrested for such an offence.

“Public violence is regarded as a crime and it is the responsibility of the South African Police Service members to arrest anyone who commits any act of it. They should also bear in mind that when an arrest occurs, a person’s freedom is infringed and that person is deprived, of their freedom of movement. At the same time, this person’s right to privacy and human dignity is also seriously infringed” explained Cst Mabena.

Another strike resumed once again on Monday, April 10 which saw both gates of the Power Station being closed but the N4 highway was not blocked as was reported. Eight were arrested for public violence and appeared at the Witbank Magistrate Court on Tuesday, April 11.

In an article published on the WITBANK NEWS last week it was stated that The Select Committee on Economic and Business Development urged Eskom to prioritise industrial peace at the Kusile Plant as the scope of work is shrinking as a result of the looming completion of the project. At its peak the plant employed roughly 20 000 people but that number is diminishing

“Employment opportunities should not end with 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 locals,” said Mr Mandla Rayi, chairperson of the committee.

Eskom’s National Spokesperson Mr Khulu Phasiwe said that the first thing to clarify is that the strike was not inside the power station led by employees but it happened near the Power Station. He said as a company they cannot unfortunately hire all people that are in need of employment. However various companies have been approached to employ community members who seek employment. With regards to the closing of the power stations Phasiwe said that there have been meetings with mining companies and government to try to find a solution. “If certain projects are not working towards a better end goal, then some plants have to be switched off. A final decision has not been reached yet, we are waiting to hear from government,” said Phasiwe.

The National spokesperson for Eskom further explained that the company wants to find a balanced solution which will suit all parties ensuring that people do not lose their jobs.

The latest is that Duvha and Kendal have shown interest in the striker’s proposal. At this point the different organisations are waiting to hear what could be the way forward.

“If need be that the strike continues until our voices are heard, then so be it,” concluded Nyamunda.

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