17 Oct 2019 | 05:16 AM UTC
South Africa: Rolling blackouts to continue October 17 /update 1
Rotational power outages to take place October 17 due to limited capacity; associated electrical, transportation, and business disruptions expected
Event
State-owned utility company Eskom Holdings announced late (local time) on Wednesday, October 16, that Stage 2 rotational load shedding will take place from 09:00 until 23:00 on Thursday, October 17. According to Eskom, the national electrical grid is still experiencing severe generation capacity challenges. Rolling blackouts were previously put into effect on Wednesday following breakdowns at power generation plants. A full schedule of the load shedding can be found on the Eskom website here.
Associated transportation, business, and power disruptions are expected throughout Thursday. Further blackouts may occur in the coming days. Demonstrations are also possible if power disruptions persist over the near term.
Advice
Individuals in South Africa are advised to monitor developments to the situation, to be cautious when driving or crossing streets if traffic signals are not functioning, adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities, and keep battery-operated devices fully charged whenever possible.
