The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Monday said that Eskom was lying to the public that workers affiliated to the trade union were responsible for sabotaging work being done at the power utility's power stations across the country. 

This comes as Eskom last week began implementing load-shedding as the electricity grid became constrained due to shortage of power capacity after workers downed tools following a deadlock in wage negotiations. 

Livhuwani Mammburu, NUM national spokesperson, said that Eskom was lying about union members intimidating some workers at power stations, adding that the power utility was simply looking for public sympathy. 

"We also want to clarify the lies being communicated to the public by Eskom that our members are responsible for load-shedding. Eskom is lying and our members are not even responsible for any sabotage," Mammburu said. 

"Eskom is desperately looking for a public sympathy while using our members as scapegoats. This is hogwash and unacceptable. Eskom management must deal with their own problems and stop blaming the workers." 

Eskom wage negotiations will resume on Tuesday and continue until Thursday in Johannesburg after the power utility removed the zero percent wage offer from the table.