Mining Weekly reports that in the wake of industrial action by truck drivers in the coal transportation sector on Wednesday morning, Greenpeace Africa campaigner Nhlanhla Sibisi said that the protest were concerning.  

This was because it highlighted the fact that the upskilling of miners and truckers in the coal sector was not happening as envisioned in the National Development Plan.  The truckers were protesting at Eskom's expected signing of power purchase agreements with more independent power producers, which they believe threaten their jobs.  Sibisi commented:  “Government has committed to decarbonising the electricity sector; however, job losses can be mitigated through the reskilling of the labour force in South Africa in a just transition away from coal and to renewable energy.  There are many more opportunities in the renewable-energy industry; in fact there is a growing global trend away from coal and fossil fuels and to renewable energy.”

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