Mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe dropped a bombshell at Parliament yesterday, confirming loadshedding is here to stay, at least for the next while.
Speaking during the State of the nation address debate, Mantashe said South Africans can expect intermittent blackouts for the next two years, as opposed to 18 months.
Right on cue, Eskom has just announced that stage two load shedding will be implemented from 9 o'clock on Thursday morning through to 6 am on Sunday.
It's not all doom and gloom for Eastern Cape residents, however.
Also addressing MPs at the Sona debate, Water and Sanitation minister Lindiwe Sisulu said the Eastern Cape could soon be less reliant on Eskom.
Sisulu said a hydro-electric power project was in the works at Mzimvubu Dam near Port St Johns, which could see the Eastern Cape go completely off the grid once completed.
