BY TANDZILE DLAMINI
MBABANE — The Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) convened the 2025 Safety Indaba today at the Luke Commission, bringing together leaders from various sectors to strengthen the company’s commitment to workplace safety and the protection of human life.
EEC Managing Director Ernest Mkhonta, emphasised the company’s unwavering goal: Zero Fatalities and Zero Tolerance to Incidents. Addressing participants, Mr. Mkhonta highlighted the importance of safety as a strategic asset, stating that a safe workforce drives productivity, innovation, and operational excellence.
“Safety is not a department; it is a culture,” he said. “Leadership accountability is the cornerstone of a safety culture. We must prioritise safety with the same intensity as profit and performance, empower every individual to stop unsafe tasks, and invest in systems that protect our people.”
The keynote coincided with the official introduction of the EEC Life-Saving Rules, a set of non-negotiable guidelines designed to prevent serious incidents. Mkhonta encouraged all organisations present to adopt these rules, describing them as a “common language of safety” for all employees, contractors, and partners.
The Safety Indaba also provided a platform for cross sector collaboration, including discussions on risk management, safety leadership, and operational excellence. Mkhonta urged participants to share successes and failures openly and to commit to concrete safety actions in their own organisations.
Earlier, GM Support Services Bheki Motsa welcomed attendees, noting that the Indaba offered more than dialogue, it was an opportunity to build a lasting safety culture. He cited EEC’s safety record, revealing that incidents involving employees, contractors, and the public nearly doubled between 2019 and 2024. In response, the company established a Safety Leadership Committee and a Contractor Performance Management Committee to design innovative strategies, monitor compliance, and enhance accountability.
“The Safety Indaba is a call to action,” Motsa said. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that every person returns home safely, every single day. By embedding safety into every decision, we create a legacy of trust, resilience, and excellence.”
The 2025 Safety Indaba marks a pivotal milestone in EEC’s journey to strengthen safety culture across the organisation and the wider community, reinforcing the message that safety is not just a policy but a human imperative.
(Courtesy Pics)
