Eskom apologises, promises to restore power after almost 100,000 Tshwane residents plunged into darkness

Eskom apologises, promises to restore power after almost 100,000 Tshwane residents plunged into darkness

Eskom’s technicians are still working to restore power, following a major outage affecting about 95,000 customers in several areas of Tshwane.

The affected areas include Mathibestad, Makapanstad, GaMotla, Eersterus, Stinkwater, Dilopye, Suurman, Majaneng, Sekampaneng, Mashimong, Bridgeview, Kudube, Temba, Rens, Hans Kekana and Hammanskraal West.

On Tuesday, Eskom spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena said: “We do not have an estimated time for restoration at this moment, however, we anticipate that supply will be restored to most areas today.”

The power utility has apologised to consumers who are in the dark, amid cold temperatures.

Eskom has apologised to Tshwane residents after a major power outage that affected almost 100,000 customers. File Picture: Siphiwe Sibeko / Reuters

“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience during this challenging time,” said Mokwena.

“Rest assured, we are doing everything possible to resolve the issue swiftly.”

Earlier this month, IOL reported that most South Africans are breathing a sigh of relief as the power utility announced it would continue suspending load shedding until further notice.

At the time, Mokwena said the generation grid remains steady.

“This is a result of sustained available generation capacity, adequate emergency reserves, and anticipated moderate demand for the week ahead,” Mokwena said in an update.

After load shedding Stage 2, Eskom announced at the end of March that due to its generation capacity, load shedding would be suspended until Sunday, March 31.

Subsequently, the power utility announced a further suspension of load shedding due to sustained available generation capacity.

Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that Eskom’s proposed gas power plant in Mossel Bay and a pumped hydro storage facility in Limpopo are among the 12 priority projects identified for project preparation in the coming year.

IOL