South African power utility Eskom has warned of a high risk of load shedding this weekend due to ongoing breakdowns at several of its power stations. This comes after nearly 10 months without rolling blackouts, a period marked by improvements in the generation fleet.
Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena assured the public that the situation remains under control, calling it a “potentially temporary setback” as the company continues to implement its recovery plan.
"Load shedding is largely behind us due to structural improvements in our generation fleet. However, over the past seven days, we have experienced several breakdowns that require extended repair times," Mokwena explained.
She added that Eskom has had to rely on emergency reserves, which are now depleted and require replenishment. As a result, load shedding of up to Stage 4 may be implemented over the weekend, depending on how quickly reserves can be restored.
The warning comes shortly after Eskom was granted a 12% electricity tariff increase this year, a move that has sparked debate among consumers and businesses already burdened by high energy costs.
Eskom said it continues to monitor the situation closely and will provide further updates as needed.