It’s been a perplexing week for South Africans. Right on the cusp of a rumoured announcement of eased lockdown regulations, Eskom issued a notice that the country would undergo stage 2 loadshedding on Thursday 13 August 2020, between 08:00 and 22:00.
Eskom announces stage 2 loadshedding
The power utility issued a statement basically telling us that it was left with no other choice but to relieve some strain on the power grid.
The implementation of stage 2 loadshedding, according to Eskom, is due to failure of two generation units.
“The return to service of two generation units at the Tutuka power station has been delayed, as well as a unit each at Duvha, Matimba and Kusile power stations.
“An additional unit at Tutuka tripped this afternoon (Wednesday 12 August 2020) while Kusile’s Unit 1 has been shut down. Eskom teams are hard at work to return these units to service,” Eskom noted in a statement.
As if this was not frustrating for ordinary South Africans, the power utility added that loadshedding can be expected for the rest of the week since, “these breakdowns have added to the approximately 5 500MW of capacity out on planned maintenance while unplanned maintenance has risen to almost 11 000MW.”
How to check your loadshedding schedule
The first priority in instances like these is stocking up on candles. Apart from that, it’s important to get clued up on your area’s loadshedding schedule.
The schedule is quite easy to navigate. Visit Eskom’s schedule landing page or your provincial government’s website to find the schedule and based on your area number, you will be able to determine when loadshedding is likely to hit your community.
Alternatively, the easier method is downloading the famed EskomSePush app. The app will send out a push notification on your phone, informing you of the next planned outage in your area.
“Eskom requests your assistance in using electricity sparingly so we may be able to supply the country through the evening peak demand period,” Eskom concluded.