Eskom has announced that stage-six power cuts will be implemented from midday on Wednesday until further notice.
The power utility attributed the drastic move to a high number of generating units breaking down since midnight, as well as a requirement to preserve the remaining emergency generation reserves.
Earlier on Wednesday, Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said: “Due to further breakdowns and delays in the return of generating units to service, stage-four loadshedding will be implemented from 9am.”
South Africa has been subjected to record power outages in 2022, according to media reports, mainly due to breakdowns at Eskom’s poorly maintained coal-fired plants that account for more than 80% of the country’s power supply.
The cash-strapped state-owned enterprise has been forced to use turbines that run on diesel, intended to bolster generation during peak-demand periods, to mitigate blackouts that have put a dent on economic growth.
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