Government continues to solicit input from many organisations and professionals to assist in identifying individuals who can come back to Eskom and help to get the old power stations back in order and mentor younger managers.

This as the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) on Thursday moved to clarify its call for skilled engineers to aid Eskom.

Delivering the department's Budget Vote in May this year, DPE Minister, Pravin Gordhan, referred to the lack of engineering and technical skills at state-owned enterprises, including Eskom.

"The experienced engineers and technical skills were mainly hollowed out as a result of State Capture and corruption over the years," the department explained.

"Solidary wrote to the Minister to offer its assistance in identifying skilled personnel."

According to the department, before and after the Budget Vote speech, there have been similar offers of assistance, one example being the establishment of the Ministerial Review Task Team.

"To repeat, the Minister did not approach Solidarity. He simply made a call to all organisations, including the social partners, for skilled personnel, regardless of race to avail themselves to be placed at Eskom."

According to News24, the union has a list of more than 1 000 skilled people who are willing to assist, which will be narrowed to 100 of the best. The department said that various professional and business organisations have responded and offered to assist.

"It is a pity that Solidarity and some in the media are politicising this issue amid a crisis that government is working very hard to address."

Now is the time to work together, without any partisan interests, and assist and support an earnest group of power station managers to improve the performance of the power stations, said the department.

Meanwhile, the department said Eskom would follow its internal human resources policies and processes to ensure that the appropriate engineers with the best skills and experience are hired.