TSHWANE – Eskom says it is hopeful that matters between Optimum Coal Mine and the power utility can be resolved.
This after the Gupta-owned mine failed to meet their contractual obligations to supply Eskom with over 400 000 tonnes of coal per month – a move that has resulted in Eskom imposing penalties of R105 million.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Optimum Coal Mine in Mpumalanga, George van der Merwe, has told striking workers that the mine is experiencing financial problems.
He has accepted a memorandum of grievances from workers affiliated to NUM who are concerned about the future of the company, with the Gupta brothers embroiled in corruption allegations.
Speaking on SAfm, Eskom Spokesperson, Khulu Phasiwe says, “This matter is squarely in their court. What we know though is that they have declared a hardship in relation to the industrial action that we are seeing there, but even before then, they were failing to meet their monthly obligations, so clearly something is amiss. All we are saying is that we are hopeful that either they or the business rescue practitioners will come with some plan to make sure that we figure the contract out. The contract that we have with them is coming to an end at the end of this year, so hopefully, by that time everything would have been sorted out so that we don’t have any shortages at the power station.”
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