The National Union of Metalworkers has criticised the spliting of the Escom

The National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA) has criticised the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa during his state of the nation address that power utility Eskom would be split into three state-owned entities. “‘This is nothing more than privatisation through the back door and we reject it,’ NUMSA general secretary Irvin Jim said in a statement. ‘Only an Eskom which is completely owned and controlled by the state is the best guarantee for cheap electricity. ‘History has shown us that once the private sector is allowed to step in, prices increase and massive job shedding is inevitable,’ Jim said.” President Ramaphosa says “there are sound, valid and compelling reasons to separate Eskom into different entities. It is not a path to privatisation, as the Hon Malema will have us believe.”