Eskom has sent condolences to the family of National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) national energy sector co-ordinator Paris Mashego, who died on Tuesday.

“In his role as an NUM official and national energy organiser, he was the main link between Eskom and the NUM, and we enjoyed the robust engagements that we had with him as part of the NUM team,” said Eskom CEO André de Ruyter.

"He was a negotiator of note. He will be sorely missed.”

Eskom said it had known Mashego as a hard-working employee before he became an NUM shop steward and later a full-time official.

Mashego not only led the union's negotiating team in talks with Eskom, but also spent many years working at the Duvha power station, starting at the human resources department in 1981.

Eskom said Mashego rose to the position of employee wellness officer in 2014.

"Simultaneously, his career and stature within the NUM grew steadily. He was the union’s part-time shop steward between November 2003 and July 2012, before rising to the position of regional secretary for the Highveld region."

In May 2015, Mashego resigned from his Eskom job to work full-time at the union’s head office in Johannesburg, where he continued as a negotiator.

"In his many dealings with Eskom, Mr Mashego was always a measured, calm and soft-spoken negotiator who based his arguments and analysis on facts. May he rest in power," the power utility said.

NUM said Mashego's sudden passing was a great loss to the union.

"As an accomplished negotiator, comrade Mashego will be sadly missed," it said.

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