No more load-shedding if Eskom turnaround plan is implemented 110%: Pravin Gordhan

If all goes according to plan, there will either be no load-shedding - or stage 1 "at the most" - provided Eskom's turnaround plan is implemented "110%".

That is according to public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan, who was speaking on Wednesday at a media briefing at the Lethabo power station in the Free State.

Gordhan said it was "nice" to have plans, but the key to their nine-month plan would be discipline and ensuring those who miss deadlines which affect power delivery were taken to task.

"An important culture change needs to happen in Eskom," he said.

Gordhan assured the nation that there was a plan to ensure the lights stayed on this winter.

"We have a winter plan," said Gordhan, adding that May 1 would be regarded as the start of the season.

"We have, as an aim, that there should be no load-shedding from now … If there is load-shedding, at the most we will see level 1 load-shedding on a few occasions," he said.

Also at the press conference, Eskom chairman Jabu Mabuza said President Cyril Ramaphosa had confirmed there were no plans to privatise the power utility.

He added that work would continue on the Kusile and Medupi power plants because it would be too expensive to stop at this stage.

This is a developing story.