Kaya 959 Reporter
South Africans are on high alert after Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan hinted at the possibility of extreme blackouts on Wednesday.
Gordhan told parliament that there would be no need for a State of Emergency because Eskom could fall back on Stage 8.
He had sought to deflect calls from the DA that the utility be placed in a “state of calamity,” allowing provinces and municipalities to seek alternate power suppliers.
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He also claimed that even the most severe wave of power disruptions is adequate to keep the grid from collapsing.
“The government has not considered declaring a state of disaster to respond to the energy challenges that we are facing. At this point, there is no requirement for the government or Eskom to declare an emergency.”
“At all times, the main imperative is to avoid the total collapse of the grid. There are, therefore, internal plans to manage the power system that will allow the system’s operator to implement up to Stage 8 load shedding – in order to protect the grid from total collapse.” says Gordhan.
According to reports at Stage 8, households could be without power for anywhere from 12 to 14 hours every day.
Our main metros’ load shedding schedules have taken this into account. In other areas, such as eThekwini, Cape Town, and Joburg, for example, a 24-hour cycle might see ‘five or six different power disruptions.’
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