The week that was: Fin24's top 5 stories

From the news of Eskom planning for stage 5 and 6 load shedding, the much talked about load shedding updates to the design defects at Medupi power station, here is the week that was...

1. Get ready for full day of Stage 4 load shedding on Monday - Eskom

Earlier this week Eskom announced that South Africans would face Stage 4 load shedding, which was implemented up until Thursday. 

The power utility assured the power rationing was "no cause for alarm as the system is being effectively controlled".

2. Eskom, government plans for Stage 5 and Stage 6 load shedding to stave off national blackouts

Eskom and government have started planning for Stage 5 and Stage 6 load shedding, according to officials who say that there is a race against time to ensure that a national blackout and grid collapse does not happen.

At the first major briefing to explain the fourth day of Stage 4 power cuts, Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan said that the government and Eskom were determined not to go beyond Stage 4 load shedding where 4000 MW has to be shed in long and regular blackouts to business and residential consumers. 

Stage 5 and Stage 6 load shedding imply shedding 5000 MW and 6000 MW respectively.

3. No end in sight for load shedding: The power crisis in numbers

Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan told a media briefing on Tuesday that government and Eskom are doing the best they can to solve the load shedding crisis. 

He appealed to South Africans to reduce demand for electricity as the country enters its fifth consecutive day of rotational blackouts. 

Gordhan promised to improve communication around load shedding, admitting not enough had been done enough to inform people about the situation.

4. Plan for Medupi and Ingula stations will be known by month end, says Eskom internal memo

Design defects at Medupi power station are being addressed and the way forward will be known before the end of March, according to an internal memo circulated among Eskom employees.

The memo, from chief operations officer Jan Oberholzer, updated staff on the power utility's generation recovery plan, given that load shedding resumed last week. Eskom implemented Stage 4 load shedding from Saturday.

5. Eskom to implement Stage 2 load shedding on Friday

Eskom shifted load shedding from Stage 4 to Stage 2 on Friday.

In a statement, Eskom said Stage 2 load shedding would be implemented from 09:00 to 23:00 on Friday.

It is the first time in almost a week that Eskom has not implemented Stage 4.