Power utility Eskom says it will monitor the situation overnight to see if South Africans need to brace themselves for another bash of load shedding on Friday.
Earlier the utility implemented load shedding nationwide from just before 18h00 until 20h00.
Spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe earlier he says the national grid is constrained due to acts of sabotage and intimidation earlier on Thursday by members of the trade unions.
Phasiwe says the load shedding will continue until at least 20h00 nationwide.
The power stations that are worst-affected by the industrial action are Hendrina, Camden, Kendal and Arnot.
Eskom has asked South Africans to lower power consumption.
In Mpumalanga, workers affiliated to the National Union of Mineworkers and NUMSA have demonstrated at the Duvha power station in Emalahleni.
They blockaded the main gate demanding a salary increase from the employer. The workers have vowed not to return to work until management meets their demands.
NUM and NUMSA members united to press for their demand of a no less than 10 percent wage increase.
A first of its kind by the rival unions.
CEO Phakamani Hadebe braved a hail of insults to come and receive the memorandum. He told workers that Eskom was now willing to make them an offer.
City Power not load shedding yet
Meanwhile Johannesburg’s City Power says it is currently not load shedding but would do so if Eskom instructs it to load shed.
City Power says any of its Johannesburg customers that do not have electricity should log a call with them.
Eskom started implementing stage one load shedding just before six in the afternoon. This follows a strike action by Eskom employees of salary increases.
City Power spokesperson Sol Masolo Masolo says:”So at the moment as City Power in Johannesburg we are not load shedding anyone until such time we get an instruction from Eskom to load shed. So any customer that does not have electricity should log a call and report it at a call center and get a reference number and allow our technical team to look into it.”
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