The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) stands squarely in solidarity with its militant Affiliate, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), as it unleashes mass mobilisation against the unbundling of Eskom.
During the State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa made an announcement regarding the continued restructuring and unbundling of Eskom including the establishment of an entirely independent transmission entity that will own and control transmission assets.
COSATU and NUM view this as a bid to privatise perhaps the country’s most strategic state-owned enterprise via the backdoor. Our stance is clear – we are vehemently opposed to the unbundling of Eskom in any format. The breaking up of the energy utility risks its long-term sustainability, is certain to undermine workers’ rights and job security, and will lead to further escalation of the already unaffordable price of electricity.
Moreover, the formation of an independent transmission entity will hollow-out Eskom’s most valuable assets and leave a shell. Government’s obsession with liberalising the energy sector is frankly baffling. A public good as crucial as electricity must never be put in private hands. As it is, not everyone in the country has access to electricity, privatising Eskom will only lead to energy poverty. This cannot be allowed to pass as it will impact the working class the worst.
Another thorn on our side is Samancor Chrome’s insistence on pushing ahead with the retrenchment of 2 400 workers despite the National Electricity Regulator granting it and fellow ferrochrome producer, Glencore-Merafe Resources, relief in the form of a 35% reduction in electricity prices. The move was meant to mitigate the distressed conditions under which the two entities are operating and boost their sustainability. NUM views Samancor’s Section 189 notice as a spit in the face, particularly as the union negotiated tirelessly to have the tariffs reduced to protect both the smelting sector and the jobs within it.
Samancor’s actions and rush to retrench workers is an act of extreme bad faith and undermines extensive engagements between government, industry and labour, including at Nedlac to find a fair compromise. These engagements have yielded massive compromises by Eskom to grant a 62KW relief for struggling industries. COSATU fully supports NUM’s call and will be seeking urgent engagements with government, Eskom and industry on this burning crisis.
To highlight its displeasure at the plan to unbundle Eskom and Samancor’s planned retrenchments, NUM will be rolling out mass action starting this Saturday, 14 March, with marches in the Free State and Kwa-Zulu Natal as follows.
Free State March
Date: 14 March 2026
Time: 9 am
Assembly point: Batho Community Hall
Destination: Lebohang Building (Premiers office)
Contact: Tiisetso Mahlatsi, COSATU Provincial Secretary, 077 607 3012
Kwa-Zulu Natal March
Date: 14 March 2026
Time: 9 am
Assembly Point: Eskom New Germany, Pinetown, Durban
Keynote Address: NUM President, Phillip Vilakazi
Contact: Edwin Mkhize, COSATU Provincial Secretary, 082 399 7756
Or Khuleh Ntuli, NUM Acting Regional Secretary, 078 478 3877
COSATU and its Affiliates will join the marches.
Issued by COSATU
Zanele Sabela (COSATU Spokesperson)
Mobile: 079 287 5788 / 077 600 6639
Email: zaneles@cosatu.org.za