Eskom says there will be no load shedding on Thursday. However, the power utility has warned that the system remains vulnerable and that it may resolve to load-shed at short notice.
Eskom implemented stage 2 load shedding since the beginning of last week, but did not load shed on Wednesday.
“The outlook is positive that there will be no load shedding. However, we remind customers that the system remains vulnerable and that load shedding can be implemented at short notice if there are any shifts in the system. We request customers to continue using electricity sparingly and to reduce demand,” says Spokesperson Sikhonathi Matshantsha.
On Wednesday the power utility says the situation on the power grid has improved and several power units are back in operation.
Eskom suspended load shedding at 9 last night. “There will be no load shedding today as the situation has improved, the system has improved significantly. We wish to remind customers that there remains the risk of load shedding in the coming days and indeed we would urge customers to keep curbing the demand for electricity,” Matshantsha explains.
Below is Eskom’s statement on load shedding:
#POWERALERT 2
Date: 12 February 2020No loadshedding expected tomorrow @SABCNewsOnline @eNCA @IOL @ewnupdates @TimesLIVE @News24 @Moneyweb @dailymaverick @SowetanLIVE @TheCitizen_News @TheSAnews pic.twitter.com/liiPa0HgIL
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) February 12, 2020
‘Under business rescue’
Meanwhile, the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) has proposed that Eskom be placed under business rescue as opposed to using public servants pension funds to bail out the ailing power utility.
Fedusa says it rejects the proposal brought forward by Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) which suggests that the Public Investment Corporation should step in to take on R250 billion of Eskom’s debt.
In the video below Fedusa states its reasons for wanting Eskom to be placed under business rescue:
The federation’s acting General Secretary Riefdah Ajam says putting Eskom under business rescue will ensure that outside and undue political interference in its operations and governance is prevented.
“We cannot be using workers money to rescue Eskom nor any other state-owned entity. There have to be conditionalities attached to it and what we are saying as Fedusa, in particular, is that when it comes to the PIC and the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), we have already extended via the GEPF to the tune of R85 billion, so this cannot be the only possible source of income to secure any state-owned entities. So at this point in time, we are calling for government to issue bonds that will support the process which is the underlying precept but essentially any kind of intervention must be taken, and going for the extreme at this point in time, placing Eskom under business rescue is an option that must be exercised,” expressed Ajam.
