Eskom refutes claims of imminent blackout

Eskom has refuted claims of an imminent collapse of the power grid. This after social media posts claimed that the country is facing a looming complete blackout.

Source: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

“The risk of a national blackout, while inherent to the operation of a large power system, has an extremely low likelihood of materialising, given the implementation of a number of control measures, including load shedding.

“The grid is by no means at a higher or imminent risk of a collapse, and it would take an unforeseen and sudden sequence of events that results in a cascading collapse of the transmission or generation system, leading to a complete loss of supply across the country,” the power utility said.

The electricity provider emphasised that there are, however, “robust contingency plans in place to deal with such an eventuality”.

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Eskom's acting group chief executive Calib Cassim reiterated at the 2023 Enlit Africa conference that several controls are in place as well as staff who have the competence to manage the tight system.

Eskom is scheduled to hold a media briefing on the state of system on Thursday, 18 May.