Eskom reduces load shedding to Stage 2

Eskom on Sunday morning announced that load shedding will be reduced to Stage 2 from 8am until 4pm. The announcement is welcome news as South Africa experienced its first winter snowfall on Saturday.

ALSO SEE: PICS: Sani Pass and Afriski in Lesotho blanketed in snow

On Saturday afternoon the embattled power utility moved the country to Stage 4 load shedding citing higher electricity demand than expected after several units tripped.

The country will, however, be moved to Stage 3 load shedding from 4pm until 10pm on Sunday.

As the cold snap hit Gauteng, Eskom announced on Friday that power cuts would take place throughout the weekend.

The struggling power utility said they were forced to increase load shedding to Stage 4 on Saturday after the loss of two Hendrina and one Lethabo Power Station unit.

The state-owned utility said at the current burn rate, diesel supplies would be depleted ahead of new stock arriving on Monday, which would result in higher stages of load shedding. It added that the ship will be offloading through Tuesday and that Eskom therefore must preserve the current diesel stocks.

The power utility have also urged South Africans to switch off all non-essential electrical appliances to avoid power surges upon power restoration.