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Much like their current loadshedding situation, Eskom’s key but often problematic Kriel power station saw flames on Monday as one of its conveyor belts caught alight resulting in billowing smoke filling the skies above.

The large-scale fire had South African onlookers in a panic as the possibility of Stage 8 flashed before our eyes. However, Eskom provided a glimmer of reassurance, stating on Twitter that the fire had only impacted the conveyor belt at the Kriel Mine and not the power plant itself.

This meant that there would be no impact on the energy grid as the nation slowly descended into Stage 5 loadshedding which remains in place for Tuesday. City of Cape Town customers are able to indulge in a slight sigh of relief with Stage 3 in effect until 8 pm before Stage 4 kicks in until 10 pm followed by Stage 5 until midnight.

Claiming ‘we told you so’ since their march in February 2020 against privatisation and blackouts, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) calls for the entire Eskom Board to vacate office. Included in the list of Ekom members

“We have consistently warned against the immortal and dishonest intention of handing over South Africa’s energy generation sovereignty to the greedy establish that will influence all spheres of life, including the country’s political future,” says EFF’s National spokesperson Sinawo Thambo

“The incompetence and arrogance of Eskom executives has plunged South Africa into a perpetual and unwarranted darkness that is killing businesses and livelihoods.”

Included in the list of Eskom executives the EFF are calling to be ousted are CEO Andre de Ruyter and COO Jan Oberholzer who they deem useless and incompetent.

“The EFF warns that failure to fire Eskom’s board, CEO, and COO [by the end of day] will require us to take more radical steps to ensure that competent, dependable, and fit people are in charge of Eskom to resolve the energy crisis and bring an end to blackouts that have become a permanent feature of our lives,” adds Thambo.

At 9.15 am Democratic Alliance (DA) Leader John Steenhuisen will be making an address regarding Eskom’s loadshedding crisis and how the DA plans to tackle Eskom’s collapse for reliable and cheaper electricity.

The address will be live streamed on their Facebook and Youtube pages.

Also read:

While Eskom scrambles for 1000 MW, CoCT aims to mitigate some stages

Picture: screenshot / Twitter

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