Load shedding: Stage 3 until further notice

Eskom has announced that from 4pm on Wednesday, load shedding will remain on Stage 3 until further notice.

The utility said it was gradually returning its generating units to service so that while they had previously communicated that Stage 4 would be implemented from 4pm until 5am every day, this would no longer be the case.

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“Our power station managers will continue to work around the clock to return more generating units to service and improve the available generation capacity,” a statement from the energy provider read.

“Evening peak demand for [Wednesday night] is 26 701 MW. Eskom will communicate should any significant changes occur.”

‘End of load shedding in sight’

This comes a day after Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa insisted the president was correct in his State of the Nation Address (Sona) when he said the end of load shedding was in sight.

“I do give you my word: The end of load shedding is indeed in sight; the future is bright,” Ramakgopa said.

The Electricity Minister said South Africa is expected to enter the winter period with a more reliable generation capacity as Eskom ramps up maintenance and private generation.

“These interventions will add another 2 580 MW to the grid in 2024 the end of load shedding is indeed within sight.”

‘Not the end of the world’

The change in load shedding also came the same day the South African Local Government Association (Salga) in KwaZulu-Natal condemned ANC MP Sylia Lucas’ statement that load shedding was “not the end of the world”.

She made this remark during Parliament’s debate in response to the Sona, and was met with widespread criticism.

“That statement was insensitive.” the association’s provincial chairperson Thami Ntuli said.

“Some businesses are unable to pay their dues to municipalities because of load shedding which has left them financially limping. Some businesses have even closed shop because of load shedding.

“In some painful cases, patients are turned back by health centres because there’s no power or water to operate. As I am addressing you right now, there are several places throughout the country that are in darkness. There are services that have been halted because of load shedding.”

Additional reporting by: Faizel Patel and Molefe Seeletsa.