text: In July 2023, NERSA approved for the National Transmission Company of South Africa to operate a transmission system in South Africa. In September 2023, NERSA approved the remaining trading and import/export licences.
  COSATU response
  In response to feared job losses resulting from the breakup the trade union COSATU organised a national strike and called for a moratorium on retrenchments in the private and public sectors. This caused to the apparent abandonment of the government's company breakup and restructuring plans. In July 2019 the outgoing Eskom CEO announced that Eskom had entered a "death spiral" and highlighted the need for the company to restructure. Following the appointment of André de Ruyter as Eskom CEO trade unions National Union of Mineworkers and Solidarity stated that they would fight any government restructuring efforts that might result in job losses.
  In December 2019 COSATU suggested that money be used from the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) to reduce Eskom's debt from around R450 billion to more manageable levels. In return COSTATU proposed a number of conditions that included keeping workers employed. The trade union Solidarity was strongly apposed to the COSATU proposal arguing that it put the pensions of public employees at risk. The country's second biggest trade union, the Federation of Unions of South Africa, was also skeptical of COSATU's proposed plan.