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South Africans are advised to stock up on non-electrical light sources because Eskom has announced there is a “high risk” of load shedding until September this year. Yes you read that right, September.

On Thursday, January 14 the public enterprise announced Stage 2 rotational load shedding would be in place until until Sunday due to a loss in generation capacity. Two generation units at the Kusile Power Station tripped due to the failure of the main coal feed conveyor belts which feed coal into the units.

A unit at both the Kriel and Duvha generation units also tripped due to unforeseen breakdowns.

Speaking to SABC News, Eskom spokesperson Sikhonathi Mantshantsha said load shedding will be part of our lives for the foreseeable future.

“We will really see a significant difference starting around September. At this particular point we have got almost 15 000 megawatts of capacity that is out on unplanned breakdowns. Two units at the Kusile power station are not available that is being addressed. Both units should be back by Saturday. Our lives are at the mercy of very unreliable power stations, ageing infrastructure. Even after September Eskom is not even able to say load shedding will be eliminated. We are saying it will be significantly reduced,” the spokesperson said.

A three-month forecast on Eskom’s website shows that there is a code red high risk for electricity cuts each week for the next three months.

Picture: Pixabay

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Lucinda is a hard news writer who occasionally dabbles in lifestyle writing, and recent journalism graduate. She is a proud intersectional feminist, and is passionate about actively creating a world which is free of discrimination and inequality.