Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter says three stages of loadshedding are due to the ongoing illegal wage strike.

This translates to the loss of 2500 MW of capacity.

Wage talks between Eskom and unions resumed at 09:00 on Friday, but it remains unclear whether a wage agreement is imminent.

NUMSA and the NUM have denied reports that they plan to reject a 7% wage offer.

Stage 6 loadshedding will again be implemented at 16:00 on Friday until midnight.

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter says the most critical constraint at the moment is the lack of staff.

De Ruyter has thanked middle management personnel for stepping up to assist with operational matters at some power stations.

At one of our plants, the Financial Manager was rapidly given an instruction course on how to operate coal loading equipment, and he has been operating that…I’m not going to disclose at what station, or who this individual is…in order to protect him from possible intimidation…but it goes to show the extraordinary steps that loyal Eskom employees are prepared to take to keep the lights on.

Eskom has confirmed that Stage 4 loadshedding will be implemented from 07:00 to midnight on Saturday and Sunday. It will drop to Stage 2 overnight between those times.

The power utility has again urged workers to return to their posts.

De Ruyter says they may institute disciplinary action against employees who embarked on the illegal industrial action.