AfriForum plans legal action to compel law enforcers to arrest Eskom strikers

28 June 2022

The civil rights organisation AfriForum has instructed its legal team to bring an urgent application to the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, to compel law enforcers to take action against striking Eskom employees who are currently in the process of intimidating and harassing their colleagues.  Eskom indicated during a media conference that it is already in possession of a court order declaring the strike illegal, however the power provider has thus far failed to enforce this order.

The labour dispute has now led to Eskom being forced to introduce stage 6 load shedding because non-striking employees are struggling to keep the lights on due to alleged sabotage, intimidation, and interference by striking employees. Several Eskom managers’ houses were also allegedly set on fire.

“Power stations are classified as national key points and therefore we believe that law enforcers such as the SAPS should have already acted to stop the impending strike at the various affected power stations. The situation has currently escalated so badly that we suspect that the SAPS will have to enlist the help of the SANDF to bring the current situation at Eksom’s power stations under control,” says Armand Greyling, AfriForum's legal and risk officer.

Issued by Chanté Kelder, Media Relations Officer, 28 June 2022