Eskom pushes load shedding to Stage 3: Here’s your weekend schedule

Eskom has pushed load shedding from 4pm on Thursday until 5am on Saturday to Stage 3 due to the shortage of generation capacity.

“Thereafter, the implementation of Stage 2 load shedding from 05:00 until 05:00 on Sunday, followed by Stage 1 load shedding until 16:00 on Sunday,” Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said.

Unplanned outages

Mokwena said the parastatal will closely monitor the power system and communicate any changes to the load shedding schedule.

“Unplanned outages are currently at 17 391MW of generating capacity, including the delays in returning to service four generating units including Koeberg Unit 1. The capacity out of service for planned maintenance is 4 654MW.

“Approximately 4 700MW of generating capacity is anticipated to return to service by Sunday evening. Eskom teams are working tirelessly to ensure that this additional generating units are returned to service as soon as possible,”Mokwena said.

Eskom urged the public to use electricity sparingly and efficiently, including switching off geysers and pool pumps from 5pm to 9pm.

“This lowers demand and helps in alleviating the pressure on the power system and contributes to lower stages of load shedding.”

ALSO READ: ‘Load shedding started in 1997’ – Ramokgopa says no one currently at Eskom to blame

Load shedding in 1997

Meanwhile, the Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, said no one currently managing Eskom should be blamed for the power cuts and rolling blackouts started as far back as 1997.

Ramokgopa was briefing the public enterprises committee on Wednesday on the energy action plan.

This is the first time Ramokgopa briefed the committee after being appointed in March by President Cyril Ramaphosa to end the electricity crisis.

Ramokgopa said while he was summoned to explain the current energy crisis, the committee would have been familiar with the situation in Eskom and the electricity challenges facing the country

“The suggestions that the challenges of load shedding only started now, I think, is a misrepresentation. They stretch back to 1997 and some of the choices that we have made have caught up with us,” he said.

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