Double whammy for residents as threats of load shedding return
Some Gauteng residents, already faced with water outages, could be hit with a double whammy if Eskom implements load shedding.
This comes amid a warning from the power utility of a severely constrained grid.
On Tuesday, Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said a total of five generation units at various power stations had failed throughout the day.
He added a further loss of generation capacity would prompt the embattled power utility to be implement load shedding at short notice.
“A generating unit each at Kusile and Majuba were taken offline to repair boiler tube leaks, while a generating unit each at Kriel, Majuba and Matimba tripped. The return to service of a generating unit each at Kendal and Tutuka were delayed.”
Total breakdowns have increased to 16 822MW while planned maintenance is at 4 888MW of capacity.
“Eskom appeals to all South Africans to help us avoid the implementation of load shedding by reducing the usage of electricity and to switch off non-essential items.”
This while residents in parts of Johannesburg are grappling with throttled water supply as Rand Water undergoes a 54-hour planned maintenance operation.
A failed a water pump at Inanda Dam in eThekwini in KZN has also left residents scrambling for water.
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