Eskom to ease weekend load shedding

The embattled power utility has been implementing rotational stages 5 and 6 since Saturday afternoon.

The decision to reduce power cuts also comes after the Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa and the Gatesville Mosque in Cape Town wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa and Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa asking for temporary reprieve from load shedding during the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations.

In a letter responding to the president of the Muslim Judicial Council,Shaykh Irafaan Abrahams, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said while it was not possible to suspend load shedding, the power utility will reduce power cuts to stages 3 and 4 for the weekend.

Gordhan added that the power utility will endeavour to reduce the load shedding further should there be an improvement in the available generating capacity.

Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena says stage 6 will continue until 5am on Saturday morning.

"Thereafter, stage 3 load shedding will be implemented from 05:00 until 16:00 and stage 4 load shedding will be implemented from 16:00 until 05:00 on Saturday. This cycle will be repeated on Sunday until 05:00 on Monday morning. These load shedding stages may change at short notice," says Mokwena.

Mokwena says two generation units at Kendal and Kriel, and a unit each at Matimba and Medupi power stations were returned to service over the past 24 hours.

"In the same period, a generating unit each at Matla and Tutuka Power Stations were taken offline for repairs. The delays in returning a unit to service at Kriel and two units at Tutuka Power Stations have contributed to the capacity constraints. The team is working around the clock to ensure that generating units are returned to service as soon as possible."

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