Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa addressed public concerns over Stage 6 load shedding. File picture: Henk Kruger, Independent Newspapers
RESIDENTS are once again grappling with intensified power cuts as Eskom on Sunday announced the continuation of Stage 6 load shedding due to multiple failures at key power stations. Minister of Electricity Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has publicly apologised, acknowledging the significant disruption and frustration caused by the outages.
Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria on Sunday morning, Ramokgopa expressed deep regret over the latest escalation in load shedding.
“Please accept our sincerest apologies. With the greatest level of humility, I want to say to the country that we regret that there is a setback,” said Ramokgopa.
The minister reiterated that the government remains committed to resolving the energy crisis and that efforts are being guided by the Energy Action Plan introduced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in July 2022.
Eskom announced that the drastic move to Stage 6 was prompted by multiple generation failures, particularly at the Camden and Majuba power stations.
According to Ramokgopa, the crisis deepened on February 1, following over 300 days of relatively stable power supply. The system suffered another blow on Sunday when five generation units at Majuba Power Station, Eskom’s second-largest power plant, unexpectedly went offline.
"This resulted in us initiating Stage 3 load shedding to allow us to replenish the reserves, to allow the team to understand what the root cause was at Majuba, and have an appreciation of how long it will take for us to return those units,” he explained.
However, the situation worsened when four units at Camden Power Station also tripped at around 1.30am, further exacerbating Eskom’s generation deficit.
“The combination of these breakdowns forced us to escalate to Stage 6. We have since made progress in restoring some of these units, but the system remains under severe strain,” he said.
Amid growing speculation that the failures were the result of deliberate sabotage, Ramokgopa dismissed such claims, emphasising that the crisis is purely technical.
"I have heard several queries regarding some underhanded activities. I want to say to the rest of the country: this is a technical issue. We must not find any reason to manufacture explanations of why we are at Stage 6 … There is no sabotage,” he stated.
Despite the current setback, Ramokgopa expressed optimism that the situation would improve in the coming days.
“We are hoping to get back to normal by the end of the week,” he assured.
The minister acknowledged the economic toll that continued load shedding is placing on the country, noting that businesses, industries, and citizens are bearing the brunt of the crisis.
"On the agitation, anger, and disappointment that the country is registering, we should not accept load shedding at any stage … We understand the anger; we feel your pain; we can hear your cries. We will resolve this problem," Ramakgopa said.
He reiterated that the government and Eskom are working tirelessly to resolve the crisis and prevent future recurrences.
“We will resolve this problem. The decisions we are making are in the best interests of the country. We will continue to push forward to ensure a stable and reliable power supply,” he concluded.