By Dylan Bettencourt
- Eskom says electricity demand is higher than expected and outages are straining the system.
- The power utility has asked South Africans to use electricity sparingly to help ease the pressure.
Eskom has announced that Stage 2 load shedding will be in place from 4pm on Thursday until 5am on Friday.
Spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said the country is using more power than expected, which, along with power station breakdowns and planned maintenance, has made things worse.
“Despite significant progress in our generation recovery efforts, higher-than-expected electricity demand, the loss of generation units, and extensive planned maintenance have placed strain on the system,” said Mokwena.
“As a result, Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented from 16:00 today and will remain in effect until 05:00 tomorrow.”
She asked South Africans to save power where they can.
“Given these ongoing constraints, we urge the public to use electricity sparingly to help reduce pressure on the grid,” she said.
“Eskom sincerely apologises for the inconvenience and will continue to provide updates as necessary.”
Pictured above: Eskom power station.
Image source: File
