Eskom implements stage 4 load-shedding
Eskom announced on Monday that it will be implementing stage 4 load-shedding from 13:00 until 22:00.
The embattled power utility said in a statement that it had lost an additional six generating units.
"What this means is that there's a shortage of 4000 megawatts on the grid. If we had to conceptualise it it's the same amount the city as big as Johannesburg would be using so it's a lot of electricity but we don't have it at the moment on the system," said Eskom's spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe.
Phasiwe says it has been more than a decade since stage 4 has had to be implemented.
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"But I think it was a long time ago probably around 2008 or 2009."
Phasiwe said the utility had to resort to the drastic measure of stage 4 load-shedding to avoid a countrywide blackout.
"Hopefully we are not going to get there. The reason why load-shedding happens is because someone is sitting there as the system operator and making sure they rotate or ration the electricity that is available, so we are trying to avoid a blackout, which is why we have to implement load-shedding."
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