South Africa: Rolling power outages possible due to protests

Event

On Monday, July 30, South African power utility company Eskom warned customers nationwide to prepare for rolling power outages in the coming week due to protests by Eskom employees. According to a company spokesperson, coal trucking was halted on Monday at Duvha and Majuba power stations in response to "acts of intimidation," and production at Matla power station was interrupted by what Eskom management believes to have been sabotage. Union leaders representing the workers have stated that protests have remained peaceful and that Eskom is attempting to undermine popular sympathy for workers. A media statement issued by Eskom management on Monday evening warned that there is a significant chance that rotational load shedding (including possible rolling power outages) will have to be implemented on Tuesday, July 31; customers are encouraged to limit electricity use, especially during peak hours from 05:00 and 10:00, and 17:00 and 22:00 (local time). Negotiations between worker and company representatives are ongoing to avoid further disruptions. Updated information concerning load shedding schedules is available here.

Context

Eskom employees launched Monday's industrial action amid ongoing wage negotiations. Similar power outages due to worker protests occurred in mid-June.

Advice

Individuals in South Africa are advised to monitor developments to the situation, avoid all protests and demonstrations as a precaution, and keep battery-operated devices fully charged whenever possible.