De Ruyter clarifies ‘load shedding disappointment’ statement 

As winter continues alongside escalating Covid-19 infections, load shedding has become a recurring constant this week, with Eskom highlighting various technical issues as an explanation to the persistent blackouts.

Despite efforts to return additional power generation units to service following breakdowns that occurred last week, Eskom confirmed on Sunday it would implement Stage 2 load shedding going into the week.

Several parts of the country would have load shedding from 9am until 10pm on Monday.

The repeated cuts were due to the power utility’s attempts to replenish emergency generation reserves in order to better prepare for the week.

Due to much colder weather, which included increased demand for electricity supply, the utility said it would continue but would continue to experience supply constraints during the week.

As frustrations increase, CEO Andre De Ruyter is on the receiving end of disgruntled citizens left in the dark during the country’s coldest time of the year. The CEO rectifies claims that he misled the country on load shedding, saying he was disappointed the country was experiencing the recurring blackouts due to technical issues.

He noted that he had hoped there would be no power cuts, or that they would not take longer than three days.

This was a forecast, he insisted, in an EWN report, adamant that he never misled the public on load shedding, a clear result of ageing infrastructure.

He said technicians were on the ground attending to the issues which led to the shortages in power.

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