Eskom hands back the load shedding reins to Ekurhuleni

Just days after Eskom announced it would directly cut power to customers in the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE), the power utility has announced it had handed power back to the municipality to implement rolling blackouts.

Eskom previously accused the city of failing to reduce power loads, saying it had “engaged the municipality regarding its failure to load shed its customers”

Eskom previously accused the city of failing to reduce power loads, saying it had “engaged the municipality regarding its failure to load shed its customers” numerous times.

On Friday, the power utility said it had “handed over load shedding operations back to the City of Ekurhuleni, after the municipality committed to implement load shedding”.

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It warned that it would take over other municipalities that failed to implement necessary power cuts.

“Eskom will continue to monitor the CoE and other municipalities to ensure that they implement load shedding accordingly. Eskom will take over the load shedding of any municipality that fails to comply for whatever reason, even after it has been engaged on the matter, as was the case with Ekurhuleni,” Eskom said.

“The power utility is obliged to take the necessary precautions to protect the integrity and stability of the grid.”

Energy analyst Pieter Jordaan called the Ekurhuleni’s noncompliance a selfish move that endangered the grid.

He said Eskom should have acted long ago against noncompliance.

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