Dark days return as Eskom warns of load shedding
Customers are advised to switch-off all appliances during the outages and only restore gradually as needed when the power returns.
ESKOM has warned people to expect blackouts after reports suggested that it will take another five years before the Medupi power station is fully online.
Medupi is the first coal powered power station that Eskom built in 20 years after the country had been experiencing electricity and energy shortages over the last six years which resulted in load shedding.
From this afternoon, eThekwini Municipality implemented Stage 1 of the emergency load-shedding schedule after being advised by Eskom of constrained electricity supply.
eThekwini Municipality’s head of communications, Tozi Mthethwa said, Eskom’s daily forecast indicates a severely constrained supply capacity until Wednesday next week with some relief over the weekend.
“It is apparent that repeated calls for a national reduction since yesterday had not materialised, resulting in the current emergency,” she said.
Blocks E, F, G, H and J of the load-shedding schedule will be shed in the scheduled two and a half hour blocks until 10.30pm.
Parts of the City Centre (Block E) have already gone off.
Customers are advised to switch-off all appliances during the outages and only restore gradually as needed when the power does returns.
“This will assist to prevent nuisance overload tripping and extended outages.
“Residents are urged to reduce all non-essential loads to assist us in stabilising the electricity supply grid,” added Mthethwa.
The municipality encourages patience and extra caution on the roads as peak traffic builds into the afternoon.
To view the load-shedding schedule and the affected areas click here.
