The pressure is mounting on Eskom to ensure the proposed discount deal with smelters work, after Transalloys, a manganese smelter situated in eMalahleni in Mpumalanga, announced on 29 December that it had issued a section 189 notice, potentially putting 600 direct jobs at risk.
A further estimated 7 000 livelihoods linked to the smelter and the broader eMalahleni economy via its supply chain and various dependencies could also be impacted, should the company not secure the required relief regarding its energy costs.
This comes as the clock is ticking on a proposed deal that would allow Eskom to buy excess coal from local producers at lower prices to feed its older, under-utilised coal-fired power stations to generate cheaper electricity.
