The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) urges the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure and the Steve Tshwete Municipality to immediately act and restore electricity to the 4 South African Infantry Battalion’s Middelburg Base, Mpumalanga.

It is completely unacceptable that the 100 soldiers and their dependents living on the base have been without electricity since 26 July. That this takes place during the coldest period of winter with temperatures plummeting as low as 3 °C is an absolute disgrace and an abhorrent dereliction of duty by the leadership of the SANDF and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.

The SANDF with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, as the custodian of state property must act now and fix whatever infrastructure or other issues that have led to this crisis.  If the Steve Tshwete Municipality and Eskom are needed to assist, then they must be brought in.

What we cannot accept is for SANDF personnel and their families to be allowed to endure freezing conditions in poor barracks without heating, hot water, lights or to be able to do laundry, cook food or make tea. This is a grotesque violation of labour rights and basic decency, and the SANDF’s legal obligations to its employees.  It is precisely these kinds of provocations that undermine the SANDF’s morale and cohesiveness.

The Federation offers its support to the SANDF personnel trade unions, the South African National Defence Union (SANDU) and the South African Security Forces Union (SASFU) in their efforts to defend SANDF members’ rights.

COSATU urges the Ministries for Defence and Public Works and Infrastructure to swiftly intervene to ensure that electricity is immediately restored to the Base without further delay.  The Federation will be engaging both Ministries and Parliament to ensure that this happens and that the rights of SANDF personnel are respected and complied with by their employer without exception.

Issued by COSATU

Matthew Parks (COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator)

Mobile: 082 785 0687

Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za