The country has been plunged into the darkness once again. Eskom announced stage 6 loadshedding yesterday and said this was due to increased planned maintenance and unplanned generation trips. Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa addressed the media today as the high stage of rolling blackouts returned from 5am this morning.

Ramokgopha said some of the reasons behind the high stages of loadshedding were increased unplanned losses from several big generation units going down, increased planned maintenance post-winter, and increased user demand above the norm. He added that in the short term, Eskom faces the possibility of intensified power interruptions. "We say the possibility because if the planned maintenance is accompanied by increases in unplanned losses, then it means there will be an intensification of loadshedding, which is essentially the situation we find ourselves in," he said. Ramokgopa said that planned maintenance was slowed down during winter as part of Eskom's mitigation efforts to avoid high stages of loadshedding due to increased demand. He added that over the years, power generation units have been exploited without the necessary maintenance. "That has caught up with us; that is why we are in the situation we find ourselves in," he said.

The minister added that Stage 6 loadshedding is back indefinitely and that an update is expected as soon as the situation changes. Head of Generation at Eskom, Bheki Nxumalo said the generating units that tripped unexpectedly will be back in service by the end of the week. "Towards the end of this week, we should be in a position to start reducing the stages from the current stage six," Nxumalo said.