By: Natasha Archary

No loadshedding for 56-days? Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa thinks that’s cause for celebration as he joined Eskom employees at Medupi Power Station in song and dance to mark the utility’s milestone.
Ramokgopa who dismissed that electioneering was the reason for the lights remaining on, said he felt the need to spur the dedicated men and women at Eskom on for their contribution to the significant improvement to generation performance.
The Electricity Minister who was recently on Kaya Biz with Gugulethu Mfuphi said the plan to conduct maintenance during off peak times worked well and Eskom will continue to do this to ensure a surplus of generation capacity.
Fifty-six days without loadshedding marks a significant milestone in resolving the energy deficit in the country.
According to Ramokgopa, Eskom’s achievement of an Energy Availability Factor of 65.5%, last attained in 2021, confirms the success of the aggressive maintenance-led recovery strategy, despite its inherent risks, short-term gain for long-term gain.
He added that reaching an EAF of 65.5% validates the viability of the power utility’s fleet and “signifies the most efficient path to ending load shedding”.
Despite the almost two-month reprieve from loadshedding, South Africans are skeptical that a life without rolling blackouts will last, and say loadshedding will be back with a bang on 01 June, after the elections on 29 May.
While Ramokgopa maintains ongoing maintenance during off peak times has helped, energy experts say the underlying issues at Eskom remain unresolved.
This coupled with the increased demand during winter will once again challenge Eskom’s limited generation capacity, and the prediction is that loadshedding will return with full force during the colder months.
🎥: On this 56th day and counting of no loadshedding visiting Medupi Power Station to spur the dedicated men and women at Eskom on for their contribution to the significant improvement to generation performance.#LeaveNoOneBehind 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/UGcKU0Z07i
— Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa (@Kgosientsho_R) May 22, 2024
Also read: Singapore Airlines confirms death of 1 passenger on flight due to extreme turbulence



