Wide power cuts in S Africa in new electricity failure

JOHANNESBURG: Power was cut to large parts of South Africa on Sunday as the national energy provider announced days of rolling power blackouts in Africa´s most industrialised nation.

The early morning announcement was a surprise after positive statements from Eskom suggesting years of crippling power cuts of sometimes up to 12 hours a day may be over. The heavily indebted public power utility said in a statement it was limiting electricity supply “until further notice” because of multiple trips at three coal-fired power plants.

It implemented stage six of its electricity load-shedding plan on which stage eight provides for the highest level of cuts. Under stage six, power is halted up to 12 times over a four-day period for up to four hours a time.

Eskom last implemented limited load-shedding at the end of January for the first time in around 300 days. In February it boasted it had been able to keep the lights on 99 percent of the time between April 2024 and February 2025, compared to nearly 10 percent the previous year. Eskom supplies most of South Africa´s power needs and about 20 percent of power used elsewhere in Africa, mainly neighbouring countries such as Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The state-owned company generates more than 80 percent of its power at coal-fired stations and is under pressure to transition to green and renewable energy. It is burdened by massive debt from years of corruption and mismanagement, with lack of plant maintenance, theft and vandalism also blamed for South Africa´s electricity crisis.