Eskom Downgrades Loadshedding From Stage 5 to 4, Mzansi Still Not Happy: “It Doesn’t Help With Anything”

• Eskom’s announcement that it would reduce loadshedding to Stage 4 for an undefined period of time, left citizens annoyed
• Loadshedding was previously on Stage 4 and Stage 5 rotation due to Eskom’s volatile and unpredictable grid
• The announcement came days after it was suggested that Eskom would implement permanent loadshedding for two years

JOHANNESBURG - Citizens have expressed outrage over Eskom’s announcement that loadshedding would be reduced to Stage 4.

The power utility made the announcement on Friday, January 27. Stage 4 began at 5am and is expected to continue indefinitely.

Loadshedding was previously on Stage 4 and Stage 5 rotation due to Eskom’s volatile and unpredictable grid. According to TimesLIVE, Eskom was expected to implement Stage 5 from Thursday, January 26 until Saturday, January 28

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Mzansi angered by Stage 4 loadshedding

Debbie Ribeiro said:

“And so we must dance in the streets and be grateful. ANC is the poison in this country. They have caused the collapse of every SOE due to their cadre deployment, which equates to wrong/unqualified people being placed in key positions. They cannot admit their failure to themselves or to the nation.”

Mollo Thabo commented:

“Eskom and its lies, what happened to permanent Stage 2/3 for the next two years?”

Gcobisa Betela posted:

“Eskom take us for fools, every day there is a new stage but the loadshedding hits us same way straight no changes no new slots, electricity goes five times a day for two hours and then they say we are in Stage 3 that's bull màan.”

Elizabeth Maditlhare wrote:

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“In a spur of a moment, announcement will be made that power is strained and Stage 6 is implemented with immediate effect.”

Thandi Shabalala added:

“So what must we do with that information? It doesn't help with anything. Loadshedding, is loadshedding, at the end of the day. It affects the day.”

Confusion at power utility

The power utility’s chairperson Mpho Makwana suggested that Eskom might implement a permanent state of loadshedding for the next two years. He claimed the move would be to give citizens a sense of stability.

However, the proposal was ultimately rejected by the group since it could not guarantee that high stages of power cuts would not occur, BusinessTech reported.

Outgoing Eskom CEO André de Ruyter blames past leaders for power utility's troubles, leaving citizens annoyed

Briefly News also reported that outgoing Eskom CEO André de Ruyter believes the power utility is “paying for the sins of the past” despite efforts to create stability.

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He said the issues at Eskom can be traced back to 1998. According to EWN, de Ruyter said power outages could have been avoided if Eskom had not refused to sign power purchase agreements with independent power producers in 2014.

At the time the government believed that the money should have been allocated to other sectors. De Ruyter said there was a deliberate decision to neglect the maintenance to prevent loadshedding by “borrowing” supply from the future.

Source: Briefly News