On the back of numerous electricity price hikes comes the news that Eskom blew more than R36 million on staff parties and team building experiences last year. The parastatal has however come out and defended the expenditure saying fun days are used to commit workers to keeping the lights on.

City Press yesterday revealed that a R3 million family fun day in Cape Town last year was only the tip of the ice berg when it came to Eskom parties.

From October last year, the parastatal spent a staggering R36 504 036,44 on seven different “family fun days”.

Hilary Joffe, Eskom’s spokesperson, said fun days were to thank employees for hard work and a commitment to “keeping the lights on”.

Surveys conducted by HR had shown an upward trend in morale and pride in belonging to the division.

City Press had the details:

The first contract, worth more than R4 million, was awarded for planning and organising five “generation family days”, catering for almost 12 000 people in Gauteng.

The contract also involved organising two fun days for staff in eMalahleni , worth more than R10 million, and others in Lephalale, valued at nearly R5 million.

The Cape Town fun day in March – which cost R3,4 million and which caused a sensation when it was revealed earlier this year – was in fact the second for Eskom in the region over the last year.

The first family fun day was held last November and was worth close to R5 million.

Another fun day held in Durban cost a further R1 million and was contracted separately.

On top of the millions spent on the contracts, nearly R500 000 more was spent by Eskom to hire buses and taxis for employees, to hire the grounds of the University of Western Cape, a five-day stay at the Protea Hotel in Cape Town, face painting and bingo in Durban, and buying 180 burgers and drinks at a roadside cafe outside Cape Town.

The eMalahleni-region fun day included performances by artists including Teargas, Liquid Deep and Cash Time.

We’d also be happy if that kind of money was spent on our fun days.

The disclosure comes on the back of a 16% tariff hike, and appears to slap President Jacob Zuma’s call on the parastatal to cushion the price blow for consumers, in the face.

[Source: City Press]