Eskom was offered a list of 480 skilled and experienced professionals who are keen to help the company, but it did not contact a single person on the list.

In February trade union Solidarity launched a website where experienced engineers and technicians registered to offer their skills to help Eskom.

The initiative followed an announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the services of competent former Eskom employees should be used to help alleviate Eskom’s skills shortages.

On 19 February Solidarity provided Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan with a database of scarce skills that exist among Eskom’s former workforce.

These skills include experienced former Eskom engineers, technicians, project managers, financial managers and contractors.

The list was also given to Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer and Elsie Pule, group executive for human resources at the company.

Not a single person on the list contacted

Rapport has now revealed that Eskom has not contacted a single person on the list.

Solidarity CEO Dirk Hermann said it is by far the most comprehensive list of former Eskom employees and skilled professionals.

He added that all the people on the list indicated that they were willing to help to turn around the struggling state-owned enterprise.

Deon Reyneke, deputy general secretary at Solidarity, said the fact that people on the list were white may have played a role in Eskom’s decision to discard it.

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