Embattled power utility, Eskom has announced phase 4 load shedding with immediate effect.
In a statement on Sunday morning, the State-Owned Enterprise (BUMN) said phase 4 will continue until further notice.
The electric utility on Saturday has confirmed that the load shedding will be reduced from stage 6 to stage 5.
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Eskom has previously acknowledged the impact of the blackout on consumers and businesses.
According to BUMN, the ongoing burden experienced by the state is due to Eskom’s poor performance and unexpected delays in independent projects (IPPs).
Since the beginning of 2023, South Africans have been experiencing continuous power outages with no end in sight.
In the past week, Eskom appears to have implemented stage 8 load shedding without informing the public.
Here are the various stages of load shedding described:
stage 1
Phase 1 allows up to 1 000 MW of the national load to be reduced. This is the “most comfortable stage”, because there is no better world. Outages will be implemented three times in four days for two hours at a time, or three times in eight days for four hours at a time.
stage 2
Stage 2 allows up to 2 000 MW of the national load to be shed, and doubles the frequency of stage 1. Outages will be implemented six times in four days for two hours at a time, or six times in eight. – the period of the day for four hours at a time
stage 3
Phase 3 allows up to 3 000 MW of the national load to be reduced. This stage increases the frequency of stage 2 by 50%, so blackouts will be implemented nine times in four days for two hours each time, or nine times in eight days for four hours at a time.
stage 4
Phase 4 allows up to 4 000 MW of the national load to be reduced. The blackout will be implemented 12 times in four days for two hours each time, or 12 times in eight days for four hours at a time.
Stages 6 and 7
Stage 6 is the highest we’ve ever been, the dark and gloomy month of December 2019. In phases 6 and 7, Eskom releases 6 000MW and 7 000MW, which means that the power cuts will be scheduled for four days for four hours at a time.
stage 8
The dreaded stage 8 doubles the frequency of stage 4, meaning Eskom will release 8 000MW and residents will be in the dark for up to six days, or 12 hours depending on the schedule.
Additional reporting by Cheryl Kahla