Load shedding: Eskom drops to Stage 2 on Friday 22 March

Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented on Friday 22 March after a particularly dire week for Eskom and South Africa.

While the prospect of rotational blackouts should never be celebrated or normalised, there is a bittersweet relief which will see South Africans into the weekend.

For six consecutive days, Eskom has been forced to shed 4000MW from the power grid, leading to widespread disruptions which have had grievous effects on the already ailing economy and the mindset of most South Africans.

Eskom and the week of darkness It has been, quite literally, the darkest week in South Africa in over a decade. While the embattled power utility has repeatedly called for calm in the face of prolonged Stage 4 load shedding, angst has swept over the nation. It's clear that issues still remain, yet the downscaling from Stage 4 to Stage 2 will be met by a sigh of relief, tinged with trepidation.

According to the latest statement released by Eskom, Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented on Friday and is likely to be kept in place for the weekend. This comes after households were plunged into darkness for up to eight hours a day during the ominous Stage 4 cycle, which, by the way, was technically nearer to Stage 5.

Unfortunately, load shedding is likely to persist until the end of March, as surmised by African National Congress (ANC) member, Fikile Mbalula. Various task teams, appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan, are reportedly hard at work righting Eskom's catastrophic wrongdoings.

Stage 2 load shedding, Friday 22 March #POWERALERT 1

Date: 21 March 2019

Eskom moves to Stage 1 and Stage 2 loadshedding @CityPowerJhb @CityTshwane @City_Ekurhuleni @CityofCT @eNCA @ewnupdates @TimesLIVE @SowetanLIVE @SABCNewsOnline pic.twitter.com/oEFF48wVvG

Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) March 21, 2019 Eskom has noted that Stage 1 load shedding will dominate the low-use periods, typically between midnight and 9:00.

From 9:00 until 23:00 on Friday, Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented, with Eskom warning that it could be forced to cut more power if the grid faces sudden instability. This instability can be compounded by numerous factors, including an unforeseen increase in demand and unexpected plant breakdowns - the latter having embattled the utility for the last six months.

You can check to see how your area will be affected by viewing the load shedding schedule.

Tags: Eskomload sheddingSouth Africa

LINK:	https://www.thesouthafrican.com/load-shedding-today-friday-22-march-20...
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