Durban - A bleak weekend was on the cards at the time of writing. after Eskom again "regrettably" announced the commencement of countrywide stage 2 load shedding until tomorrow evening.
Apparently the cause this time around is its inability to get coal into five generating units at the Medupi Power Station, because of heavy rain in the Lephalale area on Thursday night.
Eskom had blah blah implemented contingency plans blah blah deployed additional resources blah blah working to return units to service.
Nothing we haven't heard many, many times previously.
However, the news was particularly difficult to take in the Ayoob household as we had only been returned to normal service on Thursday evening, after months of experiencing a very erratic supply. The electricity would flow and cut off rapidly within seconds, cut off for a few minutes and then return.
Several technicians and contractors arrived at various times, did the same tests and all came to the same conclusion: adequate power was flowing to all units and the problem had to lie with the cable feeding into the complex.
Eventually the guys who arrived on Thursday called in the guy who tests cables. They sat around for hours while waiting for said guy to arrive, while we sat for said hours without power, which had to be switched off for said tests to be conducted.
Tests were eventually conducted, the fault located and rapidly repaired on a lamp post across the road which has borne the brunt of many a vehicle coming too fast around the bend.
Cue the celebrations for uninterrupted wi-fi, and then cue the groans after yesterday's announcement.
There's just no winning (and no point whining either, I suppose).
The Independent on Saturday