Sunday Independent reports on the funeral on Saturday of Thembisile Yende, the Eskom technician whose body was discovered in her locked office on 29 May, after she had been reported missing 12 days earlier.  

The gruesome discovery was made after her colleagues smelt a strong odour coming from the corridors of a Springs substation.  Energy Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi and Eskom board members, including chairperson Ben Ngubane, were among those who paid their last respects to Yende.  Zwelinzima Vavi, general secretary of the recently formed SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), was also among the mourners.  Ngubane apologised to the Yende family for the manner in which their daughter was killed and that her body was left in her own office for so long.  Vavi, however, blamed Eskom for Yende’s death, saying the power utility had refused to listen to the National Union of Metalworkers of SA's plea that employees in the substation should work in pairs.  He pointed out that security had been withdrawn and the cameras were not working when the fatal incident took place.  Vavi said Saftu would support Numsa’s demand for an independent investigation into Yende’s death

• Read this report by Manyane Manyane in full at Sunday Independent
• See too, Eskom failed Thembisile Yende, says Vavi, at News24
• And also, Dood van Eskom-werker: Saftu steun Numsa se eis, at Netwerk24 (limit on access)

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page