Beleaguered energy firm Eskom have not contacted a single applicant who registered their interest in digging them out of their funk. It’s reported that the company have failed to approach any of the 480 skilled professionals who applied to help them back in February.

An initiative started by trade union group Solidarity (Solidariteit) invited any former Eskom employees or engineering experts to register via their website if they felt like they could bring something to the crisis management efforts. According to Rapport, the group sent the shortlist off to Eskom just a few weeks later.

Eskom ignore those asking to help

However, their follow-ups show that the firm hasn’t picked up the phone once in order to find out who can bring what skills to the table. Solidarity Chief Executive Dr Dirk Hermann explained four months ago that the process was open to any former workers of Eskom, as well as committed industry professionals:

“We are furious about the mess Eskom is in. Despite this anger we realise that Eskom’s crisis is our crisis that involves all of us. That is why we want to offer our help. We will help to re-recruit top skills; our members will help to keep the lights on even if they have to sleep in the power stations.” “We call on the public to help save electricity and we appeal to big business for help. We call on everyone in South Africa to make Eskom’s rescue a national project involving all of us.” Dirk Hermann

But Hermann’s calls have fallen on deaf ears. It’s understood the database has been seen by Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, who is now more involved with the Eskom turnaround strategy than ever before. However, it would seem that Gordhan has other ideas about how to rescue Eskom.

“Thuma mina” spirit ignored

The utility has avoided load shedding since mid-March. But that doesn’t mean their problems are over: Far from it, actually. Their newest plants aren’t up to scratch, and the older ones are a crumbling drain on the system. Eskom are swallowing bailout after bailout, as another R230bn donation over the next 10 years was suggested at SONA.

There have been countless worker strikes over the past 12 months, as executives and the board fight to get Eskom back on track. But it seems the state-owned entity has no time to entertain any more hands on deck.