Durban - The eThekwini Municipality will return to the national load-shedding schedule later this month – despite calls by political parties for Eskom to continue with its exemption for the city.
Residents in the metro are only affected by load shedding once it reaches Stage 4 and higher, and at these stages it is the equivalent of Stage 2 in most other municipalities.
The reason for the amended schedule was based on the severe damage to the city’s high-voltage substations caused by the April 2022 floods.
The City last year said if these substations were subjected to load shedding in their current state, many of them could suffer severe additional damage, such as explosions and fire, and this could affect large parts of the grid.
The municipality, in a statement yesterday, said it had become unavoidable for eThekwini to revert to normal load-shedding stages as experienced by the rest of the country.
The City said the load-shedding schedule was being revised and a new schedule would be effective from May 25.
“EThekwini has been on a reduced level of load shedding since the April 2022 floods, owing to the negative impact the floods had on the city’s electrical network.
“While the city’s infrastructure is not yet repaired to pre-flood levels, the city acknowledges the country’s need to reduce the load to protect the national grid.
“Some areas continue to battle with the damage from the floods and, as a result, there are certain substations that cannot be switched off as that would pose a significant risk to residents and infrastructure. The city is finalising the amended load-shedding schedule, and this will be shared with the public as soon as it is ready,” the statement read.
According to the City, suburban block allocations had been amended to accommodate the required changes.
“Customers are urged to check their suburbs against their new block numbers when the schedule is published.
“Areas with a large industrial component have been allocated to Blocks 17 to 20, and will be shut off from Stage 7 upwards for a duration of four hours at a time. This is expected to limit the impact of load shedding on production.”
Eskom said yesterday that the eThekwini Municipality, the licensed distributor, would provide details on the new schedule.
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal said the removal of the exemption would make it difficult to deal with service delivery issues.
ANC provincial spokesperson Mafika Mndebele called on Eskom to maintain eThekwini’s exemption, saying the city could not afford further strain on its economy.
Mndebele said there was a six-month turnaround plan, and this would be affected if the exemption was lifted, adding that hundreds of the city’s industrial customers also suffered extensive damage to their factories in the floods.
“Without the exemption, we will be faced with challenges in water distribution and efficient sanitation in the metro. We must keep eThekwini going, and the exemption allows for multiple activities and a co-ordinated turnaround strategy over the next six months.”
Mndebele said the city’s biggest employers, including Toyota, needed the exemption to lift the economy of not only eThekwini, but also the province.
ANC eThekwini region spokesperson Mondli Mkhize said they were in support of the continued exemption of the municipality.
“EThekwini is the economic hub of the province, and removing the exemption will exacerbate the challenges of unemployment, especially after last year’s floods, the unrest and Covid-19.
“If the exemption is removed, then it will impact business operations and industry.”
The IFP spokesperson in eThekwini, Mdu Nkosi, said a more severe load-shedding schedule in eThekwini would have an impact not only on the province, but on the country and the SADC region.
“It will help if Eskom can come to an agreement with the City to keep the exemption, as anything else will affect power substations, pump stations and water-treatment plants.
“People can live without electricity in their homes, but the energy challenges are affecting water supply, and this is where the crisis lies.”
Nkosi said eThekwini was the economic hub of the province and if no jobs were being created, this would affect the revenue of the province and the country.
“Ultimately, we wish load shedding could be stopped as it is affecting everyone’s lives,” said Nkosi.
DA eThekwini caucus leader Thabani Mthethwa said after last year’s floods, the city’s electrical system had lost 50% of its electrical load due to flooding.
“Extensive repairs are still being performed, and there is no clear indication of when the 700MW to 800MW lost will be entirely recovered.
“The City has advised Eskom that the integrity of the electrical infrastructure remains gravely compromised and that if load shedding is fully implemented, the municipal system may collapse.”