Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has dismissed claims that the country has reached Stage 8 of rolling power cuts.
Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria, Ramokgopa clarified that despite some areas experiencing intense load shedding over the past week, the highest stage reached was Stage 6.
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Addressing concerns raised by residents who reported prolonged load-shedding hours beyond those designated for Stage 6, Ramokgopa reiterated that the country was never at Stage 8.
He assured the public that should there be any major challenges, he would promptly call a press conference to provide updates, as has been done in the past.
Rolling power cuts are expected to be reduced to Stage 4 on Sunday afternoon, lasting until Monday morning.
Ramokgopa also mentioned that there are plans for Unit 2 and Unit 5 at Kusile to come back online, which will help decrease the unplanned capacity loss factor.
With these units in operation, the hope is that the capacity loss will dip below 14,000 megawatts, resulting in significantly lower stages of load shedding.
While some areas have experienced severe load shedding, Ramokgopa’s statement clarifies that the situation did not escalate to Stage 8.
The government continues to monitor and address the challenges faced in the power sector, with efforts being made to improve the stability and reliability of the national power grid.
