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Is it Eskom’s birthday celebration? Expect a taste of Stage 3 load shedding this weekend

Stuff writer
Expect Stage 3 from Eskom this weekend.

Expect Stage 3 from Eskom this weekend.

Power utility Eskom might give South Africa a bit more light this weekend when it (hopefully) eventually downgrades load shedding from the rotational Stage 4 and Stage 5 pattern that has become the norm.

“Stage 4 load shedding will again be implemented from 05:00 on Friday until 05:00 on Saturday,” Eskom says. The utility adds that Stage 3 will be implemented from 5 AM on Saturday morning until 4 PM on the day. Don’t get too excited, this won’t last long.

Stage 3 used to be a shocking upgrade from Stage 1 and Stage 2. It seems South Africa has been conditioned to be more tolerant of its presence. Especially with the power utility constantly threatening to add more stages to load shedding.

Read More: South Africa’s bailout of Eskom won’t end power cuts: splitting up the utility can, as other countries have shown

This week, news of Eskom and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) addicting more load-shedding stages came to light. South Africa currently has load-shedding stages that range from an occasional Stage 1 to Stage 8. Eskom is reportedly working on taking load-shedding stages to Stage 16.

This is as the country continued to endure the (literally) darkest days in its history. South Africa has endured rotational load shedding every day since the begging of 2023.

The ongoing nationwide blackouts have dented industries and personal lives across the country. Load shedding has been fingered for businesses closing down, job losses, and compromised health with the threat of death for those who depend on oxygen tanks and electricity to stay alive.

The power utility also celebrated its centenary on Wednesday this week as more aged power stations continue to fall apart — the main reason sighted for the immediate implementation of load shedding on a daily basis.

Birthday messages from ordinary South Africans and organisations were exactly what could be expected from a country living in darkness.

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