South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Wednesday, 11 January 2023

South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Wednesday, 11 January 2023 Image: Pixabay.

Tshwane: Here’s your UPDATED load shedding schedule for SATURDAY

Eskom is implementing Stage 4 load shedding until further notice. If you live in the City of Tshwane find your schedule here.

South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Wednesday, 11 January 2023

South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Wednesday, 11 January 2023 Image: Pixabay.

National power supplier, Eskom, has ramped up load shedding to Stage 4 from Friday, 18 November until further notice.

The power utility said this is due to breakdowns amounting to 17 056 MW of generation capacity, low pumped storage dam levels and lack of diesel are the reason for the increase in load shedding.

TSHWANE LOAD SHEDDING SCHEDULE

The City of Tshwane has since updated its load shedding schedule for Saturday 19 November.

STAGE 4

00:00-02:30 Group 13,1,5,9

02:00-04:30 Group 14,2,6,10

04:00-06:30 Group 15,3,7,11

06:00-08:30 Group 16,4,8,12

08:00-10:30 Group 1,5,9,13

10:00-12:30 Group 2,6,10,14

12:00-14:30 Group 3,7,11,15

14:00-16:30 Group 4,8,12,16

ALSO READ: Load shedding: Pretoria elderly couple suffers Carbon Monoxide poisoning

Here are some tips to mitigate against risks caused by load shedding:

  • Make use of surge protection: Electric surges are one of the biggest causes of damage to equipment during a power outage. Installing a surge protection device can help minimise some damage in unforeseen situations. Have a surge protection device fitted to your electrical distribution board or, alternatively, at the power outlet to the electronic device.
  • Ensure that your alarm system is working and the backup battery is fully functional to provide power to the system in the event of load shedding.
  • Spare torch or headlamp: Keep a torch in your car in case you arrive home at night during a power outage. Most smartphones have built-in torch or torch apps, which come in handy during unexpected power outages.
  • Charge your cellphone, laptop, and tablet: Ensure your cellphone, laptop, and tablet devices are fully charged ahead of scheduled blackouts. Be sure to charge them again as soon as possible after the power returns. It’s also a good idea to have an emergency phone charger (like a power bank) close by. This comes in handy during extended power outages. 
  • Gas for cooking and lighting: Get a small LP gas bottle and lamp. It gives good quality lighting for a large area and can also be used for cooking and boiling water. It’s a good idea to keep hot water in a thermal flask so that you can make hot drinks. Also, consider preparing meals beforehand if you know when there’s going to be a scheduled blackout.