There will be no load shedding on Christmas Day. Photo: iStock
Ailing parastatal Eskom has come to the party and suspended load shedding for two days, including Christmas (25 December).
The power utility made the announcement on Saturday.
Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said there is a slight reprieve for South Africans from the deliberate power cuts.
“Load shedding will be suspended from 5am on 25 December until 5am on 26 December. Thereafter, Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented until 4pm on 27 December, whereafter Stage 3 load shedding will be implemented.”
“The suspension of load shedding on Christmas day is only possible due to the lower demand for electricity”, Mantshantsha said.
“Eskom appeals to all electricity users to conserve as much electricity as possible during this period”.
Mantshantsha added the system, however, remained vulnerable.
“The generation fleet remains unpredictable and vulnerable”, he said.
“Should there be multiple failures of generators, a higher stage may need to be implemented at short notice”.
The ailing parastatal has been battling to keep the lights on, with January the only month in 2022 that did not have load shedding, according to The Outlier.
The power cuts have forced South Africans to seek alternative power sources with scores flocking to buy generators and inverters at incredibly high costs.
Meanwhile, Eskom was dealt a blow after the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) dismissed an appeal by the power utility against an interdict barring it from reducing electricity supplies to two municipalities in the Free State and Mpumalanga.
Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga handed down the judgement on Friday.
Justice Madlanga said the majority found the High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal correctly granted interim interdicts against the parastatal prohibiting it from reducing the bulk electricity supply it previously supplied to municipalities.
ALSO READ: Eskom dealt blow after ConCourt rules against reducing electricity
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