Eskom stage 8 load shedding to continue until further notice

Eskom have warned of capacity constraints throughout the winter season – Image via Adobe Stock

Forget Stage 6: Eskom boss suggests STAGE 8 load shedding on the horizon

This is PEAK Eskom: After warning that SA could be hit by Stage 6 load shedding today, the utility is also on alert for Stage 8 outages.

Eskom stage 8 load shedding to continue until further notice

Eskom have warned of capacity constraints throughout the winter season – Image via Adobe Stock

Eskom’s Chief Operating Officer has not ruled out the possibility of Stage 8 load shedding in the next few days, as industrial action at Eskom threatens to bring the country to its knees.

Could SA see load shedding escalate to Stage 8?

Crucial maintenance workers have downed tools in a dispute over pay, meaning that there are fewer hands on deck to help fix the ageing infrastructure once it goes down. Quite simply, Eskom finds itself in a spiral that will be very hard to reverse.

Once seen as a mythical, and almost comical phase of our rolling blackouts, Stage 8 now appears to be a looming reality. Should South Africa move to Stage 6 this evening as forecast, that will likely open the door to EVEN HARSHER power cuts before the end of the month.

Stage 4 now, Stage 6 later, Stage 8 eventually? Bleak load shedding forecast from Eskom

Stage 8 cuts would see the average South African go ‘at least 12 hours a day’ without electricity.

Jan Oberholzer addressed the media this morning, and he didn’t sugarcoat the situation. He branded the striking workers as ‘selfish’, claiming that their actions will directly increase the risk of Stage 8 load shedding. The next 72 hours will, therefore, be crucial for Eskom.

“Should this unlawful action continue, and if people are selfish – the risk will increase. We may be approaching a higher stage of load shedding if this unlawful action continues, up to Stage 8. Human capacity is important and people can only work so much under constraints.”

Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer

Eskom ‘brought to its knees’ by strike action

On Friday morning, Mzansi was plunged into Stage 4 darkness. That lasted for 51 hours over the until Sunday evening, before the outages were extended into this week. Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter told the press this morning that Stage 4 is likely to be with us ‘for some time to come’.

  • However, that particular phase of load shedding seems like a walk in the park compared to what could come next…