Cape Town — South Africans have expressed their frustration and criticised Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa amid the return of stage 6 load shedding,
Much to the anger of the people, Eskom announced that stage 6 load shedding will continue until further notice, following a breakdown of a generation unit at Medupi power station.
“Stage 6 load shedding will continue until further notice. Eskom will provide an update as soon as any significant changes occur,” said Eskom in its late announced on Wednesday.
In an earlier statement, Eskom said stage 6 would only be implemented from 16:00 on Wednesday until 05:00 on Thursday, stating this was due to a shortage of generation capacity.
With winter approaching, South Africans will be hoping that there comes a drastic decrease in the amount of power cuts they have been seeing since the start of 2023.
ALSO READ | Stage 6 load shedding to continue until further notice – Eskom
The DA said that the escalation of load shedding to Stage 6 “is a direct indictment to the misplaced confidence in Eskom’s struggling coal-fired power stations by the Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa”.
“Ever since his appointment, he has doubled down on the unreliable coal stations by suggesting that their lifespan must be extended and the taxpayers foot the bill. Now the chickens have come home to roost as the country is plunged into yet another bout of stage 6 loadshedding with a possibility of further escalation.
“What Ramokgopa and the ANC government fail to understand is that, and this has been the primary cause of the 16 year old loadshedding crisis, regardless of how hard Eskom runs its coal-fired power stations, they will never be able to meet South Africa’s current energy demand. That ship has sailed and as long as Ramokgopa and his ANC colleagues continue to beat this drum, South Africa will continue to be in the dark for years with devastating economic consequences,” said DA Shadow Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Kevin Mileham.
ALSO READ | ‘It’s going to be an exceptionally difficult winter’ – Ramokgopa
The frustration of South Africans could be seen when they responded to Eskom’s announcement of stage 6 Load shedding.
Loadshedding Update: 12 April 2023.
Following a breakdown of a generation unit at Medupi Power Station, Stage 6 loadshedding will continue until further notice. Eskom will provide an update as soon as any significant changes occur.
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) April 12, 2023
Never forget who is responsible for this. Vote out the ANC next year. Please!
— Peter Barlow (@peterbarlows) April 12, 2023
Are you preparing us for winter? Strange how we jumped from stage ? whatever to stage 6 for an unfinished power station
— Bongie (@Bongiesdube777) April 12, 2023
Breakdowns from a newly built power station like Medupi is a big disgrace that Eskom should explain to the public.
— Maso Nqawe (@Maso_90) April 12, 2023
Eskom to South Africans:? pic.twitter.com/WtykEUyZ4U
— George (@GGeoloco) April 12, 2023
Medupi, the most expensive non functional power station in the history of the world. Another proud @MYANC achievement xD
— Wookie-kie do you love me? (@WookiEXXXL) April 13, 2023
You fired DE Ruiter for political reasons when he told you the truth about what was going on inside your power stations. Who is the useless CEO in his place now?
We hear talk talk from a minister of knownothingelectricity while our grid is failing @CyrilRamaphosa@gwedemantashe— klaver (@Magdalene2490) April 12, 2023
So now can you fire the waste of space minister of electricity, Pravin and Gwede as well? Cause they’ve done nothing, stop wasting tax payers money on useless ministers, which would actually be all of them but anyway
— Who’s the bofh (@warrenfer1) April 13, 2023
Some of us work from home guys. How much longer are we going to pay for alternative power, on top of paying you too?
— Christian Simbarashe ? (@SimbaSaintChris) April 12, 2023
We’ve seen the tip of the iceberg & hit it! pic.twitter.com/JnOBmlBWg8
— Daleen Van Rensburg (@DRensberg) April 13, 2023
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Picture: Twitter/@Kgosientsho_R
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Compiled by Junaid Benjamin
