Philippa Rodseth, executive director of the Manufacturing Circle that represents SA's manufacturers, says Eskom needs to release its turnaround strategy "as a matter of urgency" because the future of manufacturing in the country depends on it. It was supposed to have been released in September. Earlier this year Eskom CEO Phakamani Hadebe hinted that significant retrenchments would be part of it, but the government is strongly opposed to this. Meanwhile, a combination of load-shedding and uncertainty is "striking at the heart" of the manufacturing sector, says Rodseth. "Government needs to resist putting politics first because we can't risk losing industry, and the situation is becoming pretty dire," she says. "Showing us the turnaround plan is fundamental to providing some predictability and comfort to our manufacturers and our investors. "It's a fundamental component of providing confidence that . there is a plan that has been thought through and that is implementable." Manufactur...

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