In a move no one saw coming, Eskom will continue to implement load shedding for the rest of the week and over the weekend, jumping between different stages at different times of the day. So far, the highest stage we’ll reach is stage 4 with an incremental reduction over the weekend. But, as is usually the case with these updates, the situation is fluid. If you’re filling in your planner, use a pencil.
Taken by surprise
At 05h30 on Thursday morning, Eskom supplied the country with the latest update on its power situation. At least for the present.
As usual, the power utility blamed “persistent high levels of breakdowns” and depleted emergency reserves as the continued cause of rolling blackouts.
Eskom did say that its teams have managed to bring generating units at Duvha, Kendal, and Medupi power stations back to service. But that doesn’t seem to have helped too much.
Varying stages of loadshedding will be implemented until midnight on Sunday pic.twitter.com/ejrkswl9J2
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) October 27, 2022
Read More: Kitchen camping during load shedding – Don’t starve in the dark
There is a small glimmer of hope. Apart from 00h00 – 05h00 on Saturday, the rest of the weekend should only see stages 1 and 2 implemented. And it gets better. We are set for no load shedding between 05h00 and 16h00 on Sunday, 30 October.
You can expect an update from Eskom should any drastic changes occur. In the meantime, keep in mind that times and stages are subject to change with little to no notice. Keep your EskomSePush updated or check out loadshedding.eskom.co.za if you feel brave.
If you haven’t yet sought out alternative power solutions for your home or to at least keep your internet online during load shedding, then check out the latest issue of our magazine for an updated load shedding survival guide.