Pretoria - Eskom will be implementing Stage 6 load shedding from 8pm on Tuesday until 5am Wednesday.
The power utility said this was due to breakdown of six generating units on Tuesday which escalated load shedding stage.
“This is necessary to ensure sufficient generation capacity is available tonight to replenish the dam levels at the pumped storage power station so that this capacity will be available during the day tomorrow,” Eskom said.
Eskom’s ongoing blackouts have reached record levels in 2022, with more than 170 days of load shedding in the year to date.
Meanwhile, SANDF soldiers have been deployed to protect power stations from theft and vandalism as the country experiences high stages of load shedding.
Soldiers have been deployed at Eskom’s power stations, including Camden, Majuba, Tutuka and Grootvlei.
Energy expert Tshepo Kgadima said the deployment of soldiers was a sign that the government and Eskom had lost control of the power utility.
“The board and management of Eskom effectively have lost total control, but they are making matters worse by deploying the army as this has never been its mandate.
“There is no threat of a terrorist attack and we are not in a state of war. It’s inexplicable what justification there can be for the army to be deployed to Eskom power stations.
“South Africans should be worried as the government is lost in terms of how to solve the electricity challenges of the country,” said Kgadima.
IOL