Cape Town — Civil Society Groups Call for Protest Action as Energy Crisis Escalates

Civil society coalition #UniteBehind has called on South Africans to march in their numbers on February 9, 2023, to demonstrate against against load shedding, Eyewitness News reports. The group also demanded that an 18% electricity price increase granted by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa be scrapped and that a dedicated ministry for energy be created.

Load Shedding Stage 3 and Stage 4 to be Implemented, Eskom Says

Eskom has said that load shedding will be implemented at Stage Stage 4 from 4pm–5am, while Stage 3 load shedding will be implemented daily from 5am–4pm until further notice. This comes after two generating units at the Tutuka Power Station were taken offline for repairs in the past 24 hours. Load shedding monitoring app Eskom Se Push has said that South Africa has experienced 543 hours of load shedding during 2023 to date.

Load Shedding Blamed After Farm Workers Die from Heat Stroke

Five farmworkers have died of heat stroke in Kakamas in the Northern Cape - the result of load shedding, according to the Kai !Garib Staansaam Movement. In an Eyewitness News report, the civil rights group said that water shortages resulted due to power cuts in the area. The deaths comes amid a heatwave in the province.

Residents, Businesses Advised to Make Alternate Energy Plans as Permanent Load Shedding Looms

According to Hilton Trollip, a senior researcher at the Energy Research Centre at the University of Cape Town, South African residents and businesses should make alternate plans to meet their energy needs as Eskom may implement load shedding measure beyond Stages 4 and 5, IOL reports. Trollip said President Cyril Ramaphosa should remove the portfolio of energy from the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources. This comes after the embattled power utility announced that some level of permanent load shedding would be required over the next two years to ensure time for maintenance along with consistency for South Africans.

Nine-Year-Old Piano Prodigy Signs Music Deal After Viral Video

A video of Rebecca Seziba playing the piano at a shopping mall in Cape Town has landed the child prodigy a collaboration with international pianist Rahul Suntah, News24 reports. The nine-year-old has never attended a music class and is completely self-taught, her father Emmanual Seziba, adding that she is a fan of classical music who was inspired to play the instrument by her brother, Joshua. Rebecca's rendition of My Heart Will Go On, the theme song of the film Titanic, had shoppers at the Table Bay Mall cheer and applaud.