South Africans face the grim reality of potential stage 2 load shedding, as Eskom issues an urgent alert about rolling blackouts that could occur on short notice.

On Monday, Daphne Mokwena, spokesperson for Eskom, confirmed that the power system is under severe strain following the breakdown of several generation units. “Over the past 12 hours, six generation units have been taken offline, placing severe strain on the power system and requiring the use of emergency reserves,” Mokwena explained during a media briefing.

The critical situation has prompted Eskom to prepare for possible load shedding. Mokwena cautioned that if an additional 800 megawatts is lost, the power utility will be forced to resort to implementing stage 2 load shedding.

“We are actively working to return seven generation units to service between the evening peak and Tuesday evening,” she said, offering a glimmer of hope amid a challenging period for the organisation.