by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – LOAD shedding has returned to haunt South Africa, ten months after it was suspended.
On Friday, the power utility, Eskom, announced the return of the power cuts that are at least two-and-a-half hours long.
“This is a potentially temporary setback,” said Eskom Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane.
He said over the past week, the company had experienced several breakdowns that required extended repair times.
“This has necessitated the use of all our emergency reserves, which now need to be replenished. Consequently, we are closely monitoring the status of our current emergency reserves, and loadshedding up to Stage 4 may be implemented over the weekend.”
It is the first time South Africa will experience load shedding since the establishment of the government of national unity, although some populated areas have been experiencing “load reduction.”
The Democratic Alliance (DA), the largest partner in the coalition government led by the African National Congress (ANC), expressed solidarity with citizens.
“We stand with the people of South Africa in this fight and will not stop until load-shedding is a thing of the past,” said Kevin Mileham, DA spokesperson on Electricity and Energy.
– CAJ News