By REGINALD KANYANE
22 February 2025- Eskom has implemented stage 3 of loadshedding. The power utility said following over 20 days of uninterrupted electricity supply, it has encountered another temporary setback.
“As a result, stage 3 load shedding will be implemented from today at 17:30 until further notice. Eskom will give an update on 23 February 2025,” it said.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said load shedding and reduction, like VAT hikes, will plunge the prospects of growth and jobs. The DA spokesperson on electricity and energy, Kevin Mileham, who is also a Member of Parliament (MP) said Eskom’s announcement of a return to stage 3 load shedding until further notice rings huge alarm bells.
“Eskom’s silence on the reasons behind this is shocking and continues to speak to a lack of transparency. While South Africans have been repeatedly told that load shedding is behind us, this has been far from true.
“A new term, load reduction has been introduced – but we must call it as we see it. We still live in blackouts, and we continue to pay more for less and less electricity,” he said.
Mileham further said that the looming tax hikes stalled due to DA intervention. He added that the DA calls on the government to fast-track electricity reforms, before our economy regresses.
“Measures that must be treated as of national importance are recovering the billions in municipal debt owed to Eskom. Fully separating Eskom’s power generation and transmission divisions and creating private sector competition by breaking Eskom’s power generation function into smaller companies for privatisation.
“After years of stagnation, we must position our economy on the right footing again. As our economy mounts its recovery under the Government of National Unity, we cannot afford to take steps back,” said Mileham.
The Guardian 