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POWER utility Eskom has announced the implementation of Stage 4 load shedding from 1pm on Monday until 5am on Friday and thereafter, Stage 2 load shedding will kick in until Saturday.
“Eskom regrets to inform the public that due to the ongoing generation capacity shortages, Stage 4 load shedding will be implemented from 1pm until 5am on Friday. Thereafter, Stage 2 load shedding will continue as previously communicated until 5am on Saturday,” the embattled power utility said in a statement on Monday.
“While Eskom regrets the escalation in load shedding, it is necessary to ration the remaining emergency generation reserves, which have been utilised extensively this morning as we are not getting the reduction in demand expected from the implementation of Stage 2 load shedding.”
The power utility added that it was anticipated that an additional seven units would have returned to service by Monday, but that had not materialised.
“Further, a generating unit at Arnot power station tripped this morning, contributing to the shortages,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the ANC Youth League’s National Youth Task Team (NYTT) is calling for decisive action to be taken against the struggling executive leadership at Eskom.
In a strongly-worded statement, the NYTT criticised Eskom's ability to keep the lights on, saying that for years there have been numerous turn-around strategies but no solution to the load shedding problem.
“We are at the mercy of sustained incompetence at the energy utility,” said the NYTT.
The task team said it had concluded that the executive leadership at Eskom did not take South Africans seriously and had no intention whatsoever to fix the country's energy needs.
“This is emphasised by the sudden return of load shedding just as Grade 12 learners are writing their exams, when the greater part of our workforce is forced to work from home, and our national economy has been struggling to provide sustainable livelihoods to millions,“ the NYTT said.
Eskom had on Friday announced the implementation of Stage 4 load shedding over the weekend and Stage 2 load shedding on Monday.