Eskom announced, this morning, that they will be implementing load shedding starting at 11am this morning (Friday).
This will continue until at least 10pm tonight but it is unclear if the situation will continue throughout the weekend.
In reports in the media this morning it was indicated that the blackouts may be a direct result of a shortage of funds at Eskom with some news outlets going as far as to assert that the company is on the brink of bankruptcy.
In response to questions, about the company’s possible lack of funds, submitted to Eskom by the Addie, spokesman Andrew Etzinger commented: “We are managing our cash flows tightly.
“While we have adequate funds available to manage our day-to-day operations we have virtually used up our budget for diesel due to increased usage of Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGT) than we anticipated.
“We can no longer re-direct any further funds to diesel as to do so would compromise other core activities.
“The grid will be very constrained for rest of summer which means risk of load shedding is moderate to high in most weeks.”
Residents are advised to refer to the revised schedule issued by Ekurhuleni.
While further details are unavailable at this stage, the Addie will keep you updated as further information becomes available.
