Pretoria – Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba has paid a moving tribute on behalf of government to the six workers, who tragically lost their lives at Eskom’s Ingula Pumped Storage facility, in KwaZulu-Natal.
“It is accordingly with deep sadness that we have assembled here to pay tribute to some of our colleagues that have suddenly, and without a warning, departed our midst.
“We are here today because we have to take a pause at this moment, not only to honour fellow brethren who courageously perished on duty, with their boots on, at the service of our nation, but to reflect on what might we have done differently to prevent such tragedy from happening,” the minister said on Thursday at the Memorial Service of the six workers.
According to Eskom a total of 13 people had been involved in the incident. The top gantry, which was on wheels, started moving down the incline and hit the monorail and the other two gantries which impacted the people on the way down.
The Ingula power station, an Eskom construction site near Ladysmith, is one of government’s flagship infrastructure projects. It is a 1 332MW Pumped Storage Scheme that contributes significantly to job creation and economic growth of the town of Ladysmith and South Africa’s infrastructure programme.
The national outpouring of grief that followed the tragic accident of last week Thursday reflected the high-esteem in which the workers of this important site were held by South Africans.
Gigaba said government and South Africans were saddened by the loss not only because human lives have been lost so tragically, but because this accident has underscored the fatal danger to which the workers continue to be exposed on a daily basis.
Gigaba expressed his support for the announcements last week by both government and Eskom that they will leave no stone unturned to investigate what caused the incident.
“Over the last few years, Eskom’s safety standards have drastically improved, but clearly more must be done to ensure that we can almost totally guarantee the safety of the workers during work, particularly the construction of complex projects.”
He said the investment programmes of the State-Owned Companies will play a critical role in encouraging demand to stimulate economic activity and investment and in driving programmes that will put in place the infrastructure, skills, industrial and technological capacity to drive the country’s future economy.
The provision of adequate electricity supply is pivotal in supporting economic growth, he said.
“As our economy continues to grow, we will need to ensure adequate availability of reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable electricity which is undoubtedly essential to realising the government’s goals of job creation, skills development, economic growth and transformation,” he explained.
The minister expressed his gratitude to people that come from elsewhere in the country to impart their skills in South Africa.
“Whilst it is extremely important to develop our own skills to support and infrastructure roll-out, we are eternally grateful to all the foreign workers who are helping us out in the infrastructure programme and, in the process, are transferring their invaluable skills to our people.
“We take this opportunity to dip our fraternal banners as a nation to these workers and their families and to wish them an eternal rest.”
According to Eskom, four foreign nationals and two South Africans were killed in the incident. – SAnews.gov.za
