Cape Town – Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientso Ramokgopa publicly apologised to businesses for the return of load shedding, now at levels last seen in 2023.
Eskom reintroduced Stage 2 blackouts during evening peak hours (4pm to 10pm) due to delayed generator returns and unplanned breakdowns.
Ramokgopa acknowledged the failure of Eskom and the Department to prevent outages, attributing the crisis to poor planning and equipment management.
“I want to just say to the rest of the country once more, almost profuse and sincere apologies,” Ramokgopa said during a media briefing on Wednesday.
[WATCH] “All things we shared regarding the winter outlook remain valid,” Minister of Electricity and Energy Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says Eskom goes into this year’s winter on a much better footing than last year. #LoadsheddingStage2 #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/oVvruNxULZ
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) May 14, 2025
“I’m the first one to accept that in this instance, [it] really is not about the engineering performance of the units, it has to do with how we are able to manage this situation.”
He promised accountability and engagement with power station managers.
He described load shedding as “catastrophic” for businesses and livelihoods, but noted the country is better prepared for winter than last year.
Koeberg’s units are expected to be fully operational by July. While full elimination of outages is unlikely, the aim is to reduce them.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
