Eskom unable to say when load shedding will stop
The power utility implemented stage two load shedding on Thursday to prevent the collapse of its electricity system.
JOHANNESBURG - Eskom has urged South Africans to reduce electricity usage so that it can alleviate some of the pressure on its grid and lessen the need for load shedding.
The power utility implemented stage two load shedding on Thursday to prevent the collapse of its electricity system.
• How to check your load shedding schedule
Eskom said it was not in a position to predict if and when it would stop the planned rolling blackouts.
The parastatal said it understood that South Africans were frustrated because of load shedding, saying rotational blackouts were necessary in order to avoid a national breakdown of its power grid.
Each of the time periods has an additional 30 minutes added to allow for switching of networks in a way that will not damage the power system.
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) December 6, 2019
At the end of the period, Eskom will start returning power to customers and should have them all back within half an hour.
Eskom spokesperson Dikatso Mothae said they were doing everything they could to fix the problem.
“Power station units had not been maintained over time, which is why they are not operating optimally and we are now at a point where we are having this recovery plan that will take time to see the full benefits of that plan,” she said.
But Mothae said customers should also do their part.
Eskom said customers should check the schedules on their website to see when they would be affected by load shedding.
