Eskom said it will likely end rolling blackouts on Friday after it repaired some power plants and replenished diesel and water supplies at others.
The five days of power cuts have hindered economic activity and snarled traffic, prompting criticism of President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government who are battling to stabilise the state-owned company. Eskom has R419-billion in debt and is facing a backlash from labour unions who are concerned about job security after Ramaphosa said last week Eskom will be split into three units — generation, transmission and distribution.
“Eskom is not likely to implement load shedding on Friday,” the Johannesburg-based company said in an e-mailed statement. Still, the company said any further unexpected breakdowns could see a resumption of power rationing.
The utility, which produces more than 90% of the power in South Africa, has slashed supply by as much as 4GW at times this week. That’s complicated Ramaphosa’s drive to revive an economy that stagnated during the nine-year rule of his predecessor Jacob Zuma because of rampant corruption and a lack of decisive policy making. — Reported by Antony Sguazzin, (c) 2019 Bloomberg LP