Eskom power emergency
Power cuts set to continue in Zim if debts not settled, Eskom says
State power company Zesa Holdings LTD has admitted that the power crisis looks set to continue until it clears its debts.
Mayor Stevens Mokgalapa and utility services MMC Abel Tau visited the station to assess the damage.
Residents have accused the cash-stripped power utility of switching their lights off without giving any reason or notice.
The utility says its technicians and those from Eskom are working to restore power, but they are not yet able to say when electricity will be fully restored.
This is the first time the power utility will be load shedding in two months.
Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe predicts that the systems will be constrained from the middle of the month when business returns to normal and demand increases on the old generators.
The utility says complying customers will get a 50% discount on the once-off remedial fee.
The Steenbras pump storage scheme has been used to lessen the impact of load shedding, but the facility is scheduled for its own maintenance between January and April.
The power utility implemented stage two load shedding over the weekend.
The parastatal says that there will be a high risk of load shedding until March next year.
Eskom says while load shedding is unlikely to take place this week, the festive season may bring about power outages depending on usage.
Management has revealed that it is struggling to secure procurement deals in time to keep the grid up.
The utility is halfway through its 13-day recovery plan following disruptions to the system by some workers who took part in an industrial action last month over higher wages.
Reports from the talks this week indicated that Eskom had moved higher than its proposed 7% wage hike but none of the parties will confirm the latest figure publicly.
On Friday, the parastatal suspended load shedding but did warn that it is likely to be implemented today.
Eskom has signed an inaugural $5 billion credit facility with the China Development Bank.
Eskom said both S&P and Moody’s have noted its improved energy supply and maintenance programme.
The power utility embarked on a ‘maintenance festival’ over the Easter weekend.
Yesterday a unit at the Ingula Hydro Power Station in KZN was successfully synchronised.