State-owned power utility Eskom will not implement stage-five power cuts as previously communicated, it said on Monday, noting that stage-four loadshedding will continue until 5am on Tuesday.
Thereafter stage-two rolling blackouts kicks in until 4pm, when stage four returns until further notice.
According to media reports, Eskom has reported that it burned through double the amount of diesel budgeted so far this year – almost R12-billion worth. It has now run out of money for more diesel to keep its open-cycle gas turbines running.
South Africans have been warned that power cuts would persist during the holiday season, and well into the new year.
Other media reports said Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan held an urgent meeting with Eskom board members at the weekend amid serious concerns about the risk of higher levels of loadshedding in the coming months.
#POWERALERT1#Stage4 loadshedding will be implemented at 17:00 this afternoon until 16:00 on Monday. Various stages of loadshedding will be implemented during the week pic.twitter.com/UlfcFPBYlx
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) November 20, 2022
