Eskom insists it is improving operations, but South Africans remain in the dark as “load reduction” continues to hit communities across the country.
Spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said Eskom cut load reduction by 3% between April and August 2025 and is targeting a 15% reduction by March 2026. She explained the measure is driven by illegal connections and meter bypasses, which overload transformers.
“You will see overloading of that infrastructure, and that ends up in transformers popping or exploding,” Mokwena told Cape Talk. “This becomes a safety issue for innocent kids in the street, or bystanders.”
Eskom often replaces damaged transformers, which are meant to last 25 years, every year in some areas, resulting in a financial and operational strain. Load reduction is enforced in two-to-five-hour bouts depending on transformer failures.
“Load reduction must not be a cover for load-shedding… there’s good reason to believe it has been used to provide cover.”
Critics argue Eskom is using the practice as a cover for load-shedding. Sinan Energy CEO Mohamed Madhi warned earlier this year: “Load reduction must not be a cover for load-shedding… there’s good reason to believe it has been used to provide cover.”
While Eskom hasn’t declared formal load-shedding in more than 100 days, residents say power cuts continue under a different name. Madhi cautioned that this cycle discourages energy investment and grid upgrades while driving more illegal connections. “The cycle just keeps reinforcing itself,” he said.
Despite gains in supply and efficiency, Eskom’s reliance on load reduction underscores the fragility of South Africa’s power system, and why there’s still no end in sight for power cuts.
Read the full article at MyBroadband
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