Electricity minister talks plans to end load shedding, but for now SA moves to Stage 4 ‘until further notice’

Motlabana Monnakogla and Karen Sandison light a camera torch as they read a news paper. Picture:Nokuthula Mbatha

Motlabana Monnakogla and Karen Sandison light a camera torch as they read a news paper. Picture:Nokuthula Mbatha

Published Mar 13, 2023

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Eskom has implemented Stage 4 load shedding until further notice.

"Due to some recovery in the generation capacity over the past 24 hours, Stage 4 load shedding will continue until further notice. Eskom will provide an update as soon as any significant changes occur," the utility's Daphne Mokwena said on Monday.

On Sunday, Eskom said a generating unit at the Arnot power station had successfully returned to service while a unit each at the Kriel, Medupi and Tutuka power stations were taken offline for repairs.

Mokwena added the return to service of a generating unit each at Duvha, Medupi, Tutuka and two units at Hendrina power stations were delayed while the repairs to the damaged towers from Cahora Bassa in Mozambique were continuing and anticipated to be completed soon.

The latest load shedding update comes on the back of an interview the country’s newly appointed minister of Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, did with Newzroom Afrika in which he spoke about plans to tackle the outages.

He said they had to illustrate to the public how it planned to meet the targets as per the energy action plan unveiled by President Cyril Ramaphosa last year.

Ramokgopha said they were working to reduce the intensity and regularity of load shedding.

He said the energy action plan will present five key pillars which include ensuring that the return to service of units and addressing partial load losses.

He said many power stations were operating above 50% of the energy availability factor.

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