Image via Flickr: Matt Wiebe
”We are sorry, South Africa” – Ramaphosa speaks out about Eskom crisis
Ramaphosa pointed at Cyclone Idai as the cause of the implementation of stage 4 load shedding
Image via Flickr: Matt Wiebe
President Cyril Ramaphosa had very few words to say about the current situation that has engulfed Eskom.
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The power utility, since Saturday, has been cutting power rotationally, in accordance with Stage 4 load shedding.
What caused Eskom to institute Stage 4 load shedding?
In a statement released on Sunday, the energy provider stated that this was ”due to shortage of capacity”.
Read — Cyril Ramaphosa beats rush hour with Metrorail
Moreover, Eskom assured the public that while this stage ought to raise red flags on the stability of the power grid, it is the most efficient way to avoid a total collapse of the power system.
”We remind customers that load shedding at Stage 4 is no cause for alarm as the system is being effectively controlled. Load shedding is a highly controlled process, implemented to protect the system and to prevent a total collapse of the system or a national blackout,” the utility noted in its statement.
Eskom further revealed that even at Stage 4, 80% of the country’s power demands are being met.
Cyril Ramaphosa gives update on Eskom plan-of-action
The president, on Monday morning, was hot on the campaign trail. He was part of the ANC’s Train Station Blitz, where the party’s Top Six took a Metrorail trip — at different stations — to Bossman Station in Pretoria.
This was an opportunity for the president to get first-hand testimony from South Africa’s early risers, on the daily struggles of commuters and the impact load shedding has had on their lives.
Read — Load shedding: Eskom keeps Stage 4 in place on Monday 18 March
As reported by EWN, Ramaphosa noted that his office was aware of the situation at Eskom.
He revealed that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) had not only been deployed to Mozambique to assist with Cyclone Idai, but to also check on the pylons that were affected by the extreme conditions.
”We are very sorry to South Africans for this type of crisis that this load shedding has plunged the country into. I am certain that we are going to able to turn it around in the next two-to-three days,” he said.
Eskom noted that due to the cyclone, the utility lost approximately 1 100 megawatts of power. However, the public was assured that things would turn around in the next few days.
