SA must prepare for long, cold and dark winter

NEWS

Low temperatures are already setting in and South Africans are having to brave the cold mornings. But this could be just the beginning of a tough, cold and dark winter. With Eskom announcing this week that stage 5 load shedding will continue until further notice, it is bound to be a long winter.

According to the power utility, which implemented stage 5 at 5am on Wednesday, the rolling blackouts are due to higher-than-anticipated demand.

Last week, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and analysts alike confirmed South Africans' fears, which came in the wake of growing higher load shedding stages, that the country may be in for a cold and dark winter.

READ: Load shedding to get worse, expect stage 5

Ramokgopa also highlighted how high demand and low supply were mainly causing the country’s electricity crisis. Following his visit to several power stations last month, the minister concluded that the country was experiencing the worst blackouts and he was working on closing that gap.

Meanwhile, following the collapse of several pylons in Pretoria east on Sunday night, the minister said Eskom would assist the City of Tshwane Metro to restore power to parts of the city.

According to the Eskom Se Push app, during stage 5 load shedding South Africans can expect rolling blackouts of up to 10 hours a day. Ramokgopa said the country was entering a very difficult period of winter and that the worst-case scenario was that the country could go beyond stage 6.

Eskom will provide an update on Wednesday afternoon.

Eskom has made load shedding schedules available on loadshedding.eskom.co.za.