Eskom sabotage could cause 2 stages of load-shedding 

Professor Hartmut Winkler from the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Physics suggests that the decrease in instances of sabotage may be the reason for Eskom’s improved performance during winter.  

While experts warned of a potential increase in load-shedding due to increased electricity demand in cold weather, South Africa experienced less load-shedding compared to earlier months. Eskom attributes this to various factors such as lower demand, improved generation capacity, increased diesel deliveries, and warmer weather. However, load-shedding recently escalated to stage 6 due to sustained high demand and generator failures.  

Winkler speculates that the previous lower stages of load-shedding might be attributed to fewer instances of sabotage, but he also acknowledges that sabotage does not account for all load-shedding.  

Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has previously linked sabotage to load-shedding incidents, highlighting the impact of unlawful industrial action and disruptions at power plants. These events have led to significant decreases in generation capacity and subsequent load-shedding stages. 

Read the full article here.