South Africans were rudely awakened by the announcement of Stage 4 load shedding after experiencing either no power cuts or lower stages.
In a statement released on X, formerly Twitter, Eskom declared that the situation would persist "until further notice."
This abrupt measure was necessitated by the unfortunate loss of five generating units.
“Due to the loss of five generating units at Kendal Power Station and a generating unit at Duvha Power Station, Stage 4 load shedding will be implemented at 4am today until further notice,” said the power utility in the statement.
Eskom emphasised its commitment to closely monitoring the power system amidst these challenging circumstances.
The escalation to Stage 4 load shedding came shortly after Stage 2 load shedding was implemented on February 18, leading to a cascade of power interruptions and outages across the country.
In response to the situation, Eskom urged the public to promptly report any power outages they experience to their respective service providers.
Additionally, Eskom customers were encouraged to utilise available channels for assistance, including engaging with Alfred, the Eskom chatbot, or submitting queries through the MyEskom Customer App.
The recurrence of load shedding serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle to maintain a stable power supply, underscoring the urgent need for long-term solutions to address the underlying issues plaguing the country's energy infrastructure.
Members of the public are encouraged to use electricity sparingly.
IOL NEWS