From courts to parliament, load-shedding does not discriminate

Some people might have thought that Eskom would resist flipping the switch for state and legal proceedings - but that couldn't be further from the truth, as was apparent in the last two weeks.

Below are three times we've seen that load-shedding does not discriminate. Courts and parliament are just as much fair game as everybody else!

A dark day in parliament 

At around 10am on Wednesday 5 December, it was lights out at the parliamentary precinct in Cape Town.

The compound is of course equipped with generators, which kicked in shortly afterwards. But for just a little while, MPs got to appreciate the frustration that the rest of the country feels when darkness prevails.

The power went out just as the justice portfolio committee was applying its mind to the DA's request to hasten the removal of public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane from office.

Justice delayed

A power outage is the reason the bail hearing of the two Vlakfontein murder accused had to be moved from the Lenasia magistrate's court to its Protea counterpart.

Fita Khupe, 61, faces charges of murder along with his 27-year old co-accused, who may not be named as he has yet to plead in court. 

The two men allegedly murdered seven members of the Khoza family using sharp objects.

Sentencing proceedings put on hold

The high court in Cape Town adjourned until 12.30pm after the city was hit by load-shedding on Wednesday December 5.

Jason Rohde, CEO of Lew Geffen Sotheby's International Realty, was convicted of murdering his wife and staging the scene in an attempt to make it look like a suicide. His sentencing proceedings had to be halted for the duration of the load-shedding.