Load-shedding expected to ease in the middle of December

The embattled power utility recently embarked on nationwide planned power cuts, citing low water levels, unplanned breakdowns and a shortage of coal. 

Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe says at this stage, South Africans may have to prepare to live with an unstable system until the week of December 16. 

"Based on the plan that the management has at the moment, we are going to have a bit of a break in terms of not having load-shedding, probably in the week of December 16.

"The reason for this is that during that period, many companies like industrial customers that use a lot of electricity like the mines and large industrial customers close down for the holiday period.

"We will use that period to recover in terms of getting our water and diesel reserves up again and we will do the requisite maintenance for the units which are offline now," he says

Eskom has again implemented stage two of loadshedding for Tuesday. 

Customers can expect to be without power between 9:000 - 22:00 in the evening.