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The first blackouts of the year hit the Mother City last night, as some suburbs were left without electricity. The embattled power utility has announced residents can expect Stage 2 load shedding for a 24-hour period between 5am on Sunday, January 5 and 5am on Monday, January 6.

Eskom initially announced that stage 2 rotational power cuts would take place between 10pm on Saturday, January 4 and 8am on Sunday, January 5.

“Owing to an unanticipated conveyor belt at Medupi power station, the system is currently severely constrained and vulnerable. While a number of units are brought back on line following repairs and maintenance, it is essential to implement stage 2 load-shedding tonight [Saturday] from 10pm until 8am tomorrow [Sunday].

“This is in order to help us replenish both our water levels at pumped storage stations and diesel for our open cycle gas turbines in order to create adequate reserve capacity to place us in a better position to stabilise for the week ahead as South Africa returns to work,” the public entity said in a statement.

Capetonians can access their neighbourhood’s load shedding schedule by clicking here. 

ALSO READ: Savvy tips for load shedding

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.