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With a packed sport weekend ahead, Eskom has announced its weekend load shedding schedule, saying the rolling blackouts will be kept at low stages and even suspended for a few hours.
The embattled power utility’s spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said stage 2 load shedding – which it implemented at 5am on Friday – would continue until 5am on Saturday morning. Eskom said this was “to allow further replenishment of the pumped storage dams”.
Stage 1 load shedding will then be implemented from 5am on Saturday until 5am on Sunday.
“On Sunday, load shedding will be suspended from 5am until 4pm. Stage 1 load shedding will then resume from 4pm until 5am on Monday,” Mokwena said.
She added that Eskom will on Sunday provide an update for the week ahead.
ALSO READ: ‘I did not interfere at Eskom’ − Pravin Gordhan
Meanwhile, as the parastatal battles to keep the lights on, it’s still searching for a new group chief executive officer following the departure of André de Ruyter.
De Ruyter left the parastatal in February, with former chief financial officer Calib Cassim appointed to act in the position for six months.
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan was given the name of a recommended frontrunner from the board, but rejected it on the grounds that a shortlist of three was needed.
This effectively means the board had to go back to the drawing board.
Gordhan has stressed that he has not meddled in the Eskom board’s affairs to appoint a new CEO for Eskom.
Gordhan, who was allegedly accused of interring and rejecting the board’s submissions and recommendations, told 702 the Eskom board needs to follow protocol.
“I reject both those allusions because today it’s popular to find a scapegoat to explain why things happen or don’t actually happen. So, I reject both those ideas,” Gordhan said.
ALSO READ: Tshwane owes Eskom R3.2 billion, mayor says load shedding affecting city’s funding model
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