Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer said that despite making progress with maintenance during the lockdown, it would still take at least another 15 months before the risk of load shedding disappeared.
Oberholzer said that the utility still needed to do more long term maintenance on its aging infrastructure, at least until the end of next year July before it will be adequate enough to stop load shedding completely.
Just last month, South Africans had to endure stage four load shedding due to unexpected breakdowns, faulty turbines and low reserves.
However, South Africans have been spared during the COVID-19 lockdown as a result of a low demand in electricity as many companies were forced to stop operations.
Oberholzer said that this was, however, not going to last forever.
“We do expect that when lockdown is lifted, that the demand will pick up drastically. We are getting ready and all our plans. I do not believe what the risk of load shedding has left us. It’s still going to take us, I believe, at least until July next year in order for us to say that we’ve done proper maintenance to say that the risk of load shedding has disappeared.”
In other news – Horror in Uzalo actress Baby Cele’s family – Her brother shoots family members dead (Pictures)
There was no play-acting required when Baby Cele viewed the scene where a double tragedy had befallen her family. The Uzalo actress’s cousin, Mbuso Cele, who suffered from depression, had allegedly succumbed to the torture of the horrible disease one final, fatal time.
Mbuso allegedly shot his mother, wounded his wife and then took his own life. “People must take depression seriously,” said the visibly shaken Baby Cele, who plays Gabisile in the SABC1 telenovela. continue reading
Source: EWN