Bomb threats and gunshots at Eskom plants 'treasonous'

Cape Town – Bomb threats and gunshots this week at two of Eskom’s plants under construction were termed “treasonous” and “criminality at the highest order” by acting Eskom CEO Brian Molefe on Friday.

Addressing the standing committee on appropriations in Parliament, Molefe said a bomb threat at Kusile on Sunday meant the construction work had to be halted, while the claim was investigated.

“I have planted bombs at Kusile and they will go off today,” Molefe quoted the SMS message Eskom received.

“The bomb squad came and then declared the place safe,” he said. “Intelligence sources are now trying to locate the source.

“Those few hours looking for a non-existent bomb from an SMS were costly and add to the delays in our build programme,” he said.

Added to that were the shots fired in Lephalale on Thursday as workers were travelling to work at Medupi.

“A white VW golf stopped and [people from the car] opened fire with light machine guns on a group of people waiting for transport,” he said. “No one died and the report I got was that two people were injured. Police are attending to the matter.

“Work had to stop because people are traumatised from the shooting [and bomb scare],” he said. “It is treasonous, and criminality at the highest order.”

Construction workers striking illegally have been intimidating workers from going to work, Molefe told reporters on Friday, adding that only the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) seems to be supporting it. “Numsa opposed the court order that ordered workers back to work,” he said.

“The labour relations legislation is quite clear and very generous about when you can declare a strike,” Molefe told the committee. “We think the strike is treasonous, especially when they call a strike when we are dealing with load shedding.”

Pics taken yesterday of #Eskom Kusile site show progress on Units 1 & 2, and some on Unit 3, but little beyond that. pic.twitter.com/SelKtH2pbP

— Chris Yelland (@chrisyelland) June 11, 2015

#Eskom cancels AMEU site visit to Kusile due to possibility of unrest & protests against Eskom due to its threats to cut power to Witbank.

— Chris Yelland (@chrisyelland) June 11, 2015

Police investigating shooting of 2 persons at bus stop, suspected of being related to labour unres & intimidation of workers at Medupi.

— Chris Yelland (@chrisyelland) June 11, 2015