While South Africans worry about the prospect of blackouts thanks to protests at power utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., the company\u2019s own office lights just went out.<\/p>\n
Workers are picketing at the northern Johannesburg headquarters, as well as blocking the entrance to power stations around the country after Eskom, which supplies almost all of South Africa\u2019s power, insisted it can\u2019t afford a pay increase this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cPower supply has just been \u2018mysteriously\u2019 cut off at Eskom head office Megawatt Park,\u201d spokesman Khulu Phasiwe said on Twitter.<\/p>\n
The state-owned company, which got a new board and chief executive officer this year, is struggling to overcome years of poor management and financial performance amid a series of corruption scandals. Protesting workers have hindered access to some power plants and executives said they can\u2019t guarantee that power supply will be maintained.<\/p>\n
Legally the workers aren\u2019t allowed to strike because the provision of electricity is considered an essential service.<\/p>\n
Power security at risk<\/strong><\/p>\n Eskom said security of power supply could be threatened as workers protest the utility\u2019s insistence that it can\u2019t offer pay increases.<\/p>\n While all power plants are running, nine have been affected by the labor action and some aren\u2019t receiving coal, Eskom told reporters on Wednesday at the utility\u2019s headquarters in Johannesburg.<\/p>\n The utility \u201ccan\u2019t guarantee\u201d that security of supply isn\u2019t under threat, said Thava Govender, Eskom group executive for generation. \u201cSome of the stations are battling and they\u2019re running at lower load.\u201d<\/p>\n
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