Eskom has announced that it will implement Stage 4 rolling blackouts from 12:00 on Sunday afternoon until 05:00 on Monday morning.
Rolling blackouts will then vary between Stages 4 and 3 until Wednesday morning.
The power utility says that the emergency reserves, both the diesel and pumped storage dam levels are almost depleted.
It says: “Over the weekend the breakdown of a generating unit each at Duvha, Kriel, and Medupi power stations, as well as the delayed returns of generating unit each at Camden, Kusile, Komati, and Kendal power stations have exacerbated current generation capacity shortages, forcing the escalation of loadshedding.”
Eskom will publish any further updates as soon as any significant changes occur.
Stage 4 loadshedding will be implemented from 12:00 on Sunday until 05:00 on Monday.
Loadshedding will then vary between Stages 4 and 3 until Wednesday morning. pic.twitter.com/5bzcNCY5AR— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) October 23, 2022
Fate of executives
Meanwhile, Deputy President David Mabuza says the new Eskom Board will soon announce the future of CEO Andre de Ruyter and his Executives. Mabuza says the Board is currently completing a review of their performance.
The Deputy President has, however, pointed out that government, as a shareholder, will not interfere in the daily operations of the power utility.
The Deputy President was answering oral questions in the National Council of Provinces on Thursday. He faced questions primarily on Eskom.
This, as the country is plunged into darkness daily due to rolling blackouts. Mabuza says the Eskom Board must act if it finds underperformance.
“Like I said the Board should evaluate the performance, why load-shedding, why these breakages, what’s happening to the maintenance of this power utility and finally take a decision. If a decision says there is underperformance, they must act, act in a way that will bring confidence and stability to the utility. So, yes, we are waiting in earnest for the Board’s evaluation that will be announced very soon and I’m sure they are also worried about the ongoing load-shedding as the new Board and they would like to end it. For them to end it they must understand what are the root causes.”
Mabuza was also grilled on the 32% electricity hike requested by Eskom.
“The rising cost of electricity definitely will impact negatively on the lives of our people, impacting negatively on livelihoods and making more or else everything to be more expensive. it is a situation that we would want to correct and I’m sure we are going to stabilise the generation of electricity. In the short run, we would be able to lower the energy prices by allowing more and more generation, more players in generation creating the necessary competition not allowing Eskom as a monopoly to dictate the price,” Mabuza says.
The Deputy President also took questions on land reform. He says communities must be at the centre of deciding on communal land.
VIDEO: Deputy President answers questions in NCOP 20 October 2022:
