MINERAL Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says Eskom is “actively agitating for the overthrow of the state” by failing to deal with loadshedding.
This as businesses and homes are going up to 10 hours a day without electricity after the power utility implemented Stage 6 of loadshedding this week and power plants across the country experienced breakdowns.
Mantashe was speaking at a signing ceremony for winning bidders in round five of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme in Pretoria.
“Eskom, by not attending to loadshedding, is actively agitating for the overthrow of the state,” Mantashe said.
Eskom says that Stage 6 load shedding will continue to be implemented until 05h00 on Friday morning, before de-escalating to stage 5 for the weekend.
The heightened levels of load shedding are due to several breakdowns plaguing the group’s fleet.
“Since Tuesday night, breakdowns of two generating units at Grootvlei Power Station occurred, as well as a unit each at Arnot, Duvha, Kendal, Kriel and Tuttuka Power Stations,” it said.
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