Eskom downgrades load shedding schedule on Tuesday 8 September

Load shedding will continue on Tuesday afternoon, at Stage 1, following Eskom’s successful recovery of critical generation units.

South Africans will be afforded a slight reprieve on Tuesday, after Eskom revealed that there would be no load shedding between 08:00 and 16:00. The embattled power utility, which was forced to implement disruptive rotational cuts following the loss of at least 10 power-generating units and a surge in demand amid bitterly cold weather in the beginning of September, noted that Stage 1 load shedding would resume at Stage 1 between 16:00 and 22:00.

While Eskom has managed to successfully repair power station faults at key facilities, the damage done by a week of heightened load shedding has further crippled South Africa’s ailing economy. Less than a month out of hard lockdown, the push to revitalise economic growth has been dealt consecutive blows by Eskom’s ailing infrastructure and legacy of dire mismanagement.

Following a push to Stage 4 load shedding on Thursday 3 September, Eskom announced that it had suspended managers responsible for the Tutuka and Kendal power stations. Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter added that the suspensions sent a clear message that weak consequence management would no longer be tolerated.

Eskom load shedding on Tuesday 8 September 2020

On Tuesday morning, following a day of ‘split schedules’ — whereby Eskom implemented both Stage 1 and 2 load shedding throughout the day — the power utility revealed that, while the national power grid still experienced a degree of volatility, the situation had shown signs of improvement. Eskom announced:

“As some units have returned since last night, there will be no load shedding between 08:00-16:00. However, please note that load shedding will be reduced to Stage 1 from 16:00-22:00 tonight. Eskom will continue to communicate any changes to the supply situation.”

Power problems hurt economic growth

Eskom’s debilitating load shedding schedule comes at a critical time for South Africa. While the utility’s grim history of corruption and nepotism continues to be unpacked before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture — with Tuesday’s testimony being led by former Eskom’s former Board Chairperson, Zola Tsotsi — a report on South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is due to be worsened by the recent bout of load shedding.

As a result of the coronavirus-induced lockdown — which halted all major economic activity in April 2020 — the South African Reserve Bank has predicted that the economy will contract by at least 7%. Statistics South Africa is due to release the results of the GDP for the second quarter of 2020 at a media briefing on Tuesday morning.