Stage 4 blackouts to continue until Friday: Eskom

Eskom says the stage 4 load shedding will continue throughout Thursday and Friday due to a shortage of generation capacity.

The power utility says there is a possibility of lower stages of the rolling blackouts from Saturday morning.

Spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha says Eskom teams are working around the clock to return units to service.

“In view of the shortage of generation capacity and the need to carry out unplanned maintenance to return units to service, we, unfortunately, have to implement load shedding as a last resort.”

Mantshantsha says generation capacity has been lost at Kendal and Majuba.

“The extension of the Stage 4 load shedding is required due to further breakdowns of a generation unit each at Kendal and Majuba this morning due to boiler tube leaks. The breakdowns during the past few days of three generating units each at Kendal and Tutuka power stations, as well as the delayed return of a unit at Camden Power Station, continue to contribute to the capacity constraints.”

Each stage of load shedding is believed to cost the economy around half a billion rand a day.