Eskom has announced the immediate implementation of Stage 4 load shedding until further notice.
More than 17000MW of power have been lost to breakdowns, low pumped storage dam levels and lack of diesel .
Earlier this week, Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer warned South Africans of an increased risk of load shedding over the next 12 months as the embattled utility prepares for major repairs at its power stations.
Oberholzer said the major repairs would remove more than 2 300MW of generating capacity from the system, leading to prolonged load shedding.
He also revealed that Eskom had already burned up close on 12 billion rands worth of diesel, more than twice what it had budgeted for this financial year.
According to new research by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, South Africa has already experienced nearly 2000 hours of load shedding between January and September this year - not to mention the hours also shed in October and November.
That's more than 155 days of load shedding since January - the heaviest load shedding year on record.
