The Democratic Alliance (DA) says the Eskom’s return to load shedding is another death blow to the country’s hemorrhaging economy. The power utility announced earlier on Friday that it was implementing Stage 2 load shedding from 12:00 to 22:00 due to an increase in plant breakdowns leading to the loss of more than 3 000 megawatts of capacity.
Eskom to implement Stage 2 loadshedding starting at 12:00 as breakdowns increase@News24 @eNCA pic.twitter.com/aYcyv3Tfvb
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) July 10, 2020
Eskom has warned that load shedding may persist throughout the weekend.
“Eskom regrets to inform the public that it will implement Stage 2 load shedding starting at 12 this afternoon. This will continue until 10 o’clock tonight. This load shedding has been caused by an increase in plant breakdowns exceeding 3 000 MW of capacity.
Eskom is working hard to return as many of these generation units to service. While five generation units were taken off the grid last night and this morning, a breakdown at the Matimba power station has today resulted in the need for load shedding,” Eskom Spokesperson Sikhonathi Mantshantsha said.
The DA says apart from the ANC’s economic lockdown, the economy now also have to weather the storm of rolling blackouts. It says businesses have just begin to pick up the pieces after the lockdown when they are being dealt yet another blow.
?️| Eskom implementing stage 2 rolling blackouts is another death blow to our haemorrhaging economy.
Not only will the economy have to contend with consequences of the economic lockdown, it now has to weather the storm of rolling blackouts.#Loadsheddinghttps://t.co/La5P69CVv8
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) July 10, 2020
