load shedding eskom

Pixabay

Eskom announce a third night of load shedding for Saturday 16 June

Here we go again. Thanks, Eskom.

load shedding eskom

Pixabay

It’s not the news South Africans were hoping to hear, but it’s far from unexpected. Eskom will be rolling out load shedding for a third consecutive evening across the country.

Confirming through a statement on their website, the energy firm revealed that a five-hour period of potential blackouts will take place on Saturday.

Eskom confirms load shedding:

“The national power system will be severely constrained between 17:00 and 22:00.”

“We call on all consumers to assist by reducing their electricity consumption to minimise the risk of load shedding by switching off geysers, electric heating, pool pumps, and all non-essential appliances tonight during said time.”

What areas are affected by load shedding?

There are two very handy tools you can use to see where is affected. At the moment, Eskom won’t confirm specific suburbs or cities that will experience blackouts. They are instead encouraging people to visit their load shedding page and type in their location to find out what’s happening.

If you live in a municipal area or close to a city, you may need to use a different tool. We suggest this handy and accessible site from News24.

Why is load shedding happening?

Mass industrial action has brought the grid to its knees. Workers have been on strike since Thursday, demanding a wage increase. The company have not met the unions’ demand, leading to nationwide protests.

Striking employees were accused of sabotaging the country’s electricity supply earlier in the week, with the utility pointing the finger at their demonstrating workforce. Though nothing has yet been confirmed, load shedding is on the cards for Sunday as well.