South Africans are facing another week of high levels of loadshedding as Eskom seeks to replenish emergency reserves, including depleted diesel stocks.
Eskom uses diesel generators as a back-up to its aging coal fired power stations.
Eskom says it will implement stage 4 until 5:00 am on Monday morning.
Stage 3 will then be implemented from 5:00 am on Monday morning until 4:00 pm in the afternoon after which stage 4 will occur until 5:00 am on Tuesday morning.
The same pattern will be applied on Tuesday into Wednesday morning.
Eskom announces Stage 4 rolling blackouts from 12 noon until 5am Monday morning
In a statement by the power utility, it says emergency generation reserves of both diesel and pumped storage dam have almost run out.
Eskom says a breakdown of a generating unit each at Duvha, Kriel and Medupi power stations, as well as delayed returns of generating units each at Camdem, Kusile, Komati and Kendal have further exacerbated current power generation capacity shortages, inevitably causing the escalation of loadshedding.
Eskom’s implementation of stage 4 rolling blackouts: Prof Hartmut Winkler