Eskom CEO André de Ruyter Says There Will Be No Loadshedding And Festive Season

• Although South Africa will not be having any loadshedding during the local government elections, Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter see more blackouts in future
• The power utility boss says South Africans can expect an end to rolling blackouts on Thursday morning
• De Ruyter says Eskom is currently undergoing repairs at various power stations that experienced explosions and fires

JOHANNESBURG - Eskom CEO André de Ruyter says the power utility is making effort to ensure that there will not be any rolling blackouts during the municipal elections in a few weeks time.

De Ruyter also confirmed that loadshedding will be ending on Thursday as previously communicated with South African citizens.

He says while there won't be any loadshedding during the elections and during the Christmas season, South Africans should be expectant of more loadshedding in future, reports Fin24.

Read also

Gqeberha erupts into violence after alleged altercation: "Insane"

"The fact of the matter is that we have a shotage in power generation, between four and five thousdand megawatts and that is really what we need in addition to exisiting, ageing power generation systems which is of course very suspectible to breakdowns and failures," says de Ruyter.

He added that the power utility is currently in the process of repairs at power plants. De Ruyter explains that the main reason we currently have scheduled blackouts is because of the explosion at Medupi power station, the breakout of a fire at Kendal power station and two conveyor belts breaking at Tutuka power station, according to eNCA.

De Ruyter explains extended power outages in Gauteng

De Ruyter says areas experiencing extended blackouts even after loadshedding has is the result of municipal infrastructures failing after power returns.

Read also

We can expect loadshedding for the next 5 years, says expert

"From our perspective, these outages occur is that the municipal infrastructure to whom, of course we supply as our customer, that municipal infrastructure is also not well maintained and therefore not able to cope with the switching on and off that occurs with loadshedding," says de Ruyter.

We can expect loadshedding for the next 5 years, says expert

Briefly News previously reported that Since the reimplementation of load shedding Stage 2 until Thursday, South Africans are being reminded that they might have to get used to loadshedding for years to come.

Eskom stated that load shedding was being implemented because the power utility is having trouble with recovering from several breakdowns.

Energy expert Ted Blom told EWN that Eskom's current CEO Andre de Ruyter is to blame for the current state of the power utility. Blom says that De Ruyter had made the commitment to put an end to loadshedding by refurbishing power stations but has failed to deliver.

Source: Briefly News