Gauteng load-shedding cut down to 2 hours: Eskom

Eskom on Monday announced that it was reducing the amount of load-shedding in Gauteng to two hours.

Currently, Gauteng is hit by rotational power cuts for more than four hours at a time.

In a statement, the power utility said that, for Gauteng and some parts of North West, it would “implement load-shedding for two hours in all its areas of supply” - effective from Tuesday.

“The move from four hours to two hours of load-shedding is aimed at addressing the unintended consequences that come with the longer supply interruptions, particularly during the resurgence of Covid-19. Electricity users are advised to always check with their supplier should load-shedding exceed two hours,” the Eskom statement read.

The areas this will apply to were provided as:

• Joburg Zone - Cosmo City, Diepsloot, Ivory Park, Midrand, Randburg, Sandton and Soweto;
• Vaal Zone - Orange Farm, Sebokeng and Sharpeville;
• Merafong local municipality;
• Mogale City local municipality;
• Randfontein local municipality; and
• Klerksdorp, Mmabatho and Vryburg.

“Eskom has engaged with the affected municipalities. In addition, the power utility will also effect the changes where it is implementing load-shedding to the municipalities' direct customers,” the statement read.

It said that full, revised schedules would be available on its website and on those of the relevant municipality.

However, in a statement issued about 30 minutes before the Eskom announcement, City Power said that its load-shedding schedule “remains unchanged”.

“City Power would like to notify its customers across the City of Johannesburg that our load-shedding schedule has not changed. As such, City Power urges its customers to ignore the recent incorrect media reports suggesting that there are, or there will be, changes, to the current schedule which remains unchanged.

“Should there be any changes or plans to move to a new schedule and times, we will communicate with customers first,” the statement read.

TimesLIVE has reached out to City Power for an update in light of the Eskom statement.

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