After warning earlier on Monday that load shedding could be implemented at short notice, the inevitable has now happened: stage-2 cuts will be implemented from 5pm to 10pm on Monday.
The scheduled power cuts will continue until at least Thursday, Eskom said in a statement posted to Twitter.
It blamed the continued shortage of generation capacity for the return of load shedding.
Earlier on Monday, the state-owned electricity utility said that although several generating units were expected to return to service during the day, the risk of load shedding was high – particularly if there were any further breakdowns at its ageing fleet of coal-fired power plants.
A cold front is also expected to sweep across South Africa this week, reaching the economic hub of Gauteng on Thursday and bringing winter rain with it. This is likely to push up consumer demand for electricity.
The maximum temperature in Johannesburg is currently expected to be just 14 degrees on Thursday, according to the South African Weather Service.
Eskom warned of a heightened risk of load shedding in the coming weeks as it expected the shortage of generation capacity to persist. — (c) 2022 NewsCentral Media