Africa Energy: SA’s Eskom to implement power cuts over capacity constraint

South Africa’s power utility Eskom said it would temporarily turn off the power on Sunday due to the increasing strain on its power stations and reserve capacity.

The cash-strapped state-owned firm supplies 90 percent of the country’s electricity and last implemented blackouts in early December when it faced falling coal supplies.

It will switch off the power from 1300 local time and said it was likely to remain off until 2200.

“This is as a result of a shortage of capacity,” the firm said in a statement.

In order to limit the possibility of having to shut off supplies next week, Eskom said it needed to replenish and preserve emergency water and diesel resources.