By Lungani Zungu
The ailing power utility Eskom implemented Stage 6 on Tuesday night, after the breakdown of six generating units on Monday.
Eskom announced that Stage 5 will be implemented today (WED) and will continue until further notice.
“In the last 24 hours, six generating units have suffered breakdowns, of which a unit each at Duvha and Hendrina have not yet returned to service,” said Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha.
“In addition, a generating unit each at Matla and Arnot had been returned to service. There is a delay in returning a generating unit each at Duvha, Kendal, Grootvlei, and Kriel power stations.”
4,654 MW is out due to planned maintenance, while breakdowns currently amount to 18,123MW of generating capacity.
Over the weekend, the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) Letgotla green-lighted the declaration of a national state of disaster to deal with load shedding.
However, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the ruling party was still weighing the legal requirements for a state of disaster to be declared.
“Work is already under way within the government to establish whether the legal requirements of a national state of disaster are met and what specific actions we would be empowered to undertake,” said Ramaphosa in his closing remarks on Monday night.
This is similar to the decision by the government to impose a state of disaster when Covid-19 struck in 2020.
He said a national state of disaster would enable “us to have the instruments that would be necessary to fully address the challenge that our nation faces.”
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula echoed Ramaphosa during a press briefing on Tuesday.
“In solving the energy crisis, the NEC Lekgotla encouraged the President of the Republic to declare a national state of disaster, which will also require that the ANC reconnects with our communities and society, as the ANC does not have the monopoly of ideas.”
