22 May 2025
Scores of protesters picketed outside Eskom head office in Megawatt Park in Sunninghill on Wednesday, demanding local people be prioritised for jobs at Mpumalanga power stations. Photo: Silver Sibiya
About 70 protesters from several areas in Mpumalanga picketed outside Eskom head office in Johannesburg on Wednesday, demanding jobs.
The protesters, from Emalahleni, Victor Khanye, Steve Tshwete and Thembisile Local Municipality, complained about being overlooked when new people are hired at Kendal, Kriel, Matla, Kusile and Duvha power stations.
They handed over a memorandum of demands at Eskom headquarters at Megawatt Park in Sunninghill, demanding an urgent meeting with management.
“We urgently call on Eskom to take concrete steps towards the growing unemployment crisis in Emalahleni and surrounding communities,” they said in the memorandum. “This includes prioritising local recruitment for job opportunities ensuring transparency in hiring processes.”
Protester Simanga Mashiana said management at Eskom power stations did not hire local people. “We are tired of being told about head office every time we raise our concerns, that’s why today we decided to come here,” he said.
Zakes Mlambo from Emalahleni said even graduates were being denied opportunities.
“Community members who graduated are not getting jobs in these power stations in their backyards,” Mlambo said.
“There are a lot of people left behind also complaining about the same thing; we just couldn’t all come.”
Amos Mboweni, Eskom General Manager, received the memorandum and promised to respond within two weeks. “We take the issues that you are raising very seriously,” he told the picketers.
“Everything needs to be done to make sure we are relevant to the communities that we work in. Some of the submissions that you have made are really concerning and that is not how Eskom wants to be known.”
Eskom had not responded to GroundUp’s queries at the time of publication.