Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe confirmed in a tweet that there would be stage 1 load shedding on Thursday night.
Phasiwe said the load shedding would take place between 17:50 and 20:00. He said it was caused by intimidation and acts of sabotage earlier in the day. Speaking to Fin24, Phasiwe said municipalities must determine which areas will be affected.
Earlier, Eskom admitted that South Africa faced a real risk of load shedding and asked South Africans to lower power consumption in a bid to avoid this.
The power utility asked consumers to switch off geysers, pool pumps, heaters and non-essential appliances within the peak period of 17:00 to 20:00.
The national grid is under considerable pressure, with the country having just experienced a week of cold winter weather.
- News24