Eskom expects to implement stage-2 power cuts during the evening peaks all of this week – assuming the situation doesn’t deteriorate.
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Eskom, already struggling to avoid breakdown at its plants and nationwide blackouts, has another crisis on its hands: sabotage.
Eskom will cut the power, at stage 2, from 8am to 10pm on Saturday and Sunday as it rations diesel.
Eskom has filed charges with police over an incident of sabotage at the Tutuka power station, another obstacle as the utility struggles to meet electricity demand.
Eskom lost another generating unit at the Kusile power station on Monday afternoon, forcing the state-owned utility to escalate load shedding to stage 4.
Eskom chief operating officer Jan Oberholzer has warned that the current bout of load shedding could get worse if there are further plant breakdowns.
The rand fell in early trade on Monday amid subdued risk-taking as investors sought safety due to fears about global growth and the impact of load shedding.
Eskom will increase the level of load shedding for Monday and Tuesday because it lost more generation capacity over the weekend.
Eskom burned through more than 5.7 billion litres of diesel and kerosene in the past decade as it fought in vain to keep the lights on South Africa.
Eskom chief operating officer Jan Oberholzer has pleaded for an end to talk shops and for an urgent start to building new electricity generation capacity.