Load shedding to yo-yo between stages 5 and 6 until weekend – Here’s your schedule

Eskom has ramped up load shedding to stages 5 and 6 due to insufficient generation capacity.

The rolling blackouts were pushed up to stage 6 on Tuesday night, the second time load shedding was pushed to this level in less than a week.

Load shedding

Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said stage 5 will last until 8pm.

“Thereafter, stage 6 load shedding will be implemented from 20:00 until 05:00 on Thursday. This  pattern of implementing stage 5 load shedding from 05:00 until 20:00 and stage 6 load shedding from 20:00 until 05:00 will be repeated daily until Saturday morning.”

“Eskom will closely monitor the power system and communicate any changes to load shedding should it be required,” Mokwena said.

ALSO READ: City Power denies it imposed stage 8 load shedding on residents

No stage 8

Meanwhile, as Eskom yo-yos between stages 5 and 6 load shedding, City Power denied reports that it incorrectly implemented stage 8 load shedding instead of stage 6 over the weekend.

This after several residents, including energy analyst Chris Yelland, took to X over the weekend to complain about the number of hours they were left without electricity.

They said on Saturday they had between 10 and 11 hours of load shedding, which is more than what should be experienced during stage 6.

Giving back

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa laid the blame squarely at City Power, but the regional power utility’s spokesperson Isaac Mangena denied responsibility.

“All municipalities and Eskom are guided by Nersa’s code of practice, NRS 048-09, when implementing load shedding. This is for equitable distribution of the burden of rotational power supply cuts in order to collectively save the national grid from potentially collapsing,” Mangena said.

“Under the code, municipalities are required to give 5% of shedded power supply to Eskom, per stage. During stage 1 of load shedding, City Power gives Eskom 120 megawatts of electricity per block through load shedding,” Mangena said.

ALSO READ: Here’s how often the light will now be off under City Power’s load shedding schedule