Mongezi Koko12 August 2024 | 10:43

Ramokgopa warns that SA not completely safe from load shedding yet

To date, the country has been free from crippling power cuts for exactly 138 days.

Ramokgopa warns that SA not completely safe from load shedding yet

FILE: Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and Deputy Minister Samantha Graham-Maré brief members of the media on electricity distribution and generation performance on 12 August 2024. Picture: GCIS

JOHANNESBURG - The Department of Electricity has reiterated that the country is not completely safe from load shedding just yet. 

To date, the country has been free from crippling power cuts for exactly 138 days.

Some areas have, however, experienced load reduction. 

Briefing the media in Tshwane on Monday, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa lauded the improvement at power utility, Eskom, for boasting an improved energy availability factor and an extension to the life of its Koeberg nuclear plant.

He said that all of this affirmed that work to rid the country of load shedding was gaining momentum. 

However, Ramokgopa said that a multitude of other challenges still existed. 

"Having said all of the above, we need to caution against any declaration that load shedding is behind us. We are doing everything possible to resolve this question but the numbers do indicate that we are within touching distance - a statement that I have been making from time to time, the fact that we are expecting Medupi unit 4 to give us 800 megawatts."