Four-hour power cuts anger City Power customers

Johannesburg power utility, City Power, has explained why its customers are experiencing four-hour blocks of load shedding, leaving many fuming.

City Power took over a large portion of the city’s load shedding schedule from Eskom last year, promising its residents would be shielded from the worst of the power cuts.

Despite this, many have been left without power for up to 10 hours a day, as stage 6 load shedding grips the country. “The higher the stages of load shedding, the [more frequently] the blocks are shed. During the high stages, some blocks are shed for at least 10 hours,” it said.

“Customers are reminded that City Power now implements load shedding for four consecutive hours during higher stages of load shedding, that is stage 5 to 8.”

It acknowledged that was similar to the four-hour bouts of load shedding experienced under Eskom, it said “on some days, particularly on stage 5 and 6, it will be less intense for City Power customers”.

How are lights cut under stage 6 load shedding?

Eight blocks will encounter the four-hour long power cuts on two occasions in a day, while eight other blocks will experience it once a day.

“Blocks will alternate to make sure the uncomfortable burden is shared equally,” it said

What about stage 7 and 8?

City Power customers are warned to “remain prepared” for the “eventuality” of stage 7 and 8 load shedding, which would leave them without power for half the day because “the four-hour load shedding will occur

three times in a day. What is the president saying?

Just more than 24 hours after President Cyril Ramaphosa declared his government’s belief that “the worst is behind us and the end of load shedding is finally within reach”, the situation became worse by four stages.

He admitted load shedding had evoked “a lot of anger”, but said South Africans were resilient and hopeful of “a better time”.

“It is a constant problem... We know that and everybody feels it. And it’s not comfortable at all. In fact, it does sometimes evoke a lot of anger.

“But, as I’ve said, we do have the resilience as South Africans to keep on ensuring that we do hope for a better time. And a better time is coming.”

He refused to be drawn on when load shedding would end.

“The issue of the ending of load shedding is a moot one,” he said. “Everybody wants to know … when is it ending.

“When you give them a date and there’s load shedding thereafter, they say you were lying and you make empty, false promises.

“So we are not going to do that because this is a process.”