This is to confirm that I am currently serving my resignation notice at
@Eskom_SA
, and that my last working day will be on 30 April 2019. I'd like thank Eskom for entrusting me with the huge responsibility of being the national spokesperson of the company over the past 5 years.
Proud dad | 5 distinctions obtained by young Miss Phasiwe. Credit to teachers at foundation level and at high schools who partially made these achievements possible.
Milky Way over the Meerkat National Park, home to the MeerKAT radio telescope near Carnarvon in the Karoo, NC. The MeerKAT telescope is a precursor to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the world's largest radio telescope network that will be hosted by South Africa and Australia.
NOTICE: Eskom will stop loadshedding tonight at 11pm. Further improvements in the performance of the power system will result in loadshedding being stopped before then. As a result of these improvements, no loadshedding is anticipated tomorrow.
Eskom has today advertised the positions of CEO and Chief Financial Officer. Interested and qualified individuals have until 23 February 2018 to submit their applications.
#BathoPele
: I have just renewed my driver's license at the Krugersdorp Traffic Dept. Ordinary this shouldn't be anything to worry or write home about, but we have problems Mr
@MbalulaFikile
. The notion of servanthood from some of our civil servants is either dead or in a coma.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Yesterday I had an interview with a journalist who asked me if Eskom's issuance of bonds meant that Eskom was now involved in issuing home loans. As if that's not enough, last month I was asked for photograph of loadshedding; and if Eskom owns municipalities.
A group of 20 galaxies has been discovered with South Africa’s MeerKAT telescope, likely the most neutral hydrogen gas-rich group ever discovered, and it's the first time this group has been identified, despite residing in a very well-studied area of the sky.
Time flies. On 1 July 2018 I completed 10 years of service at Eskom, about 3 years of which as a national spokesperson. In these 3 years I have greyed and gone bald all at once. In the 10 years Eskom has had 10 CEOs and 6 boards. Someday I might write a book about my experiences.
Ms Nosipho Mpanza (in white shirt), and Ms Bondosi Mapeka (in 'Eskom-blue' shirt) led the Eskom recovery team that was tasked with restoring power supply in the Welkom/Theunissen mines.
NOTICE: Eskom has dispatched its technicians to attend to an Allandale substation that is currently on fire. The cause of the fire is not known at this stage. The areas affected by the power outage include Ivory Park and parts of Thembisa. Eskom apologises for the inconvenience.
FEEDBACK: South Africa saved 554MW during this evening's
#EarthHour
from 8:30pm to 9:30pm. The saving was higher than the 410MW recorded at the same period last year. Well done and thank you, Mzansi! Let's do it again next year. We might even beat a record set in 2013 of 629MW.
#PowerUpdate
: Due to severe power constraints, Eskom will implement stage 1 of loadshedding from now (17:50) until 20:00. Acts of intimidation and sabotage have resulted in Eskom being unable to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
@SABCNewsOnline
@afroworldview
@JacaNews
@IOL
My family and I have, thankfully, safely made it home after a grueling 1,400km drive from Cape Town. My take is that many of the accidents could be avoided if drivers:
- kept to the speed limits;
- avoid overtaking recklessly; &
- avoid overloading; amongst others
#RoadSafety
NOTICE:Eskom will implement stage 3 loadshedding from 08:00 until 23:00. The power system remains constrained. We'll continue to provide regular updates about the state of the power system through various media platforms.
Congratulations to former Eskom executive Mongezi Ntsokolo on his appointment as the new CEO of
@CityPowerJhb
. He served in various managerial positions at
@Eskom_SA
, including as Group Executive for Generation, Transmission, Distribution & Human Resources. Power to you Mhlekazi.
NOTICE: Due to the shortage of generating capacity, Eskom will continue to implement stage 3 loadshedding today, 13 February 2019, from 08:00 until 23:00.
Please switch off all non-essential appliances in order to reduce pressure on the national grid.
"Together, let’s build a cleaner, safer and greener future for everyone." --
@antonioguterres
as people around the world prepare to turn off the lights for Saturday night's Earth Hour.
#ClimateAction
The Eskom team that successfully restored power supply to the mines in Welkom at 01:40 today was led by Operations Manager Ms Nozipho Mpanza and Ms Bondozi Mapeka as Recovery Manager. The Free State Operating Unit is led by another strong leader, Ms Lindi Mthombeni. Malibongwe!
NOTICE: Eskom's suspended head of Information Technology, Mr Sean Maritz, resigned today with immediate effect. His disciplinary hearing, which was scheduled for next week, will fall away as a result.
NOTICE: Please note that the rumours being peddled by former Eskom executive, Mr
@koko_matshela
, alleging that Eskom's head of electricity distribution, Mr Mongezi Ntsokolo, has resigned are untrue, baseless and a fabrication of his imagination.
NOTICE: Eskom's Chief Information Officer, Mr Sean Maritz, has been suspended pending an investigation into allegations of impropriety. He was placed on temporary suspension last Friday, which has now been converted into a permanent suspension.
UPDATE: Power supply to the mines in Welkom was fully restored at 01H40 today. We salute technicians from the Eskom Free State Operating Unit who worked around the clock to restore power supply under very tough conditions. We wish all the rescued miners well.
ALERT: Voice messages making the rounds on social media alleging that Eskom will implement rolling blackouts this week are unfounded, and aimed sowing confusion and panic. Eskom has put in place contingency measures to keep the lights on this winter, including during the strikes.
NOTICE: Eskom's head of Group Capital, Mr Abram Masango, has been suspended with immediate effect pending an investigation into various allegations of impropriety against him relating to the Kusile build project.
Carnarvon and other parts of the Karoo in the Northern Cape received much-needed rain yesterday. Some areas in the region have received little to no rainfall in the past 7 years.
NOTICE: The social media messages making the rounds, especially in the North West province, alleging that Eskom has urged its employees not to report for work until Premier Supra Mahumapelo has resigned are false, misleading and malicious. Eskom is not involved in politics.
NOTICE: Eskom will implement stage 2 of loadshedding from 1pm this afternoon until 10pm tonight. The power system is constrained due to a number of breakdowns. Apologies for the inconvenience that this will cause
ALERT: No loadshedding will be required today as some generating units have been brought back on stream from maintenance, in addition to the topping-up of diesel tanks and water reservoirs for pumped storage stations.
As you prepare to travel for the Easter holidays, please remember to switch off non-security lights, geysers, and to unplug TVs, PVRs/Explorers. Appliances left on standby mode continue to use electricity even when your aren't using them. Travel safely, South Africa.
ALERT: A message doing the rounds on social media alleging that there won't be electricity tomorrow for the whole day is fake news. Where loadshedding becomes a necessity, usually Eskom & municipalities implement it for a maximum of 4 hours per area. If in doubt, call 0860037566.
@robertmarawa
It's understandable why you got bored after reading the third paragraph, Rob. The 4-page media statement could have been summarised into these three, easy to read, short sentences:
Star Alignment | The Karoo skies are amongst the clearest in the world and famous for stargazing. Even without a telescope, in this area one is able to see a sea of stars almost raining from the centre of the Milky Way. A visit to the Karoo is worth adding to your bucket list.
With 0.03% of the national votes, and seemingly being ditched by some of his 5000 supporters, it looks like Mr Hlaudi Motsoeneng's dream of occupying the west wing of the Union Buildings has been deferred, "bottom and klaar".
Several convenience stores in Soweto and Roodepoort have run out of ice. Whatever the reason is for the current ice shortage, it certainly is not due to loadshedding or power outages. Maybe it's the heatwave, coupled with the usual high demand for ice during public holidays.
An international team of astronomers has uncovered unusual features in the radio galaxy ESO 137-006 using MeerKAT data. Launched in 2018, the South African MeerKAT radio telescope is a precursor to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope is one of a new generation of instruments whose power solves old puzzles even as it finds new ones. Since it's launch in 2018, its unique capabilities are contributing to resolving longstanding questions related to the evolution of galaxies.
ALERT: Eskom is investigating the cause of fire on Kusile Unit 3's fabric filter plant. The fire has been brought under control. No injuries reported.
@Eskom_SA
NOTICE: Eskom has had to implement stage 1 loadshedding from 12:15 to 22:00 due to high unplanned outages. Apologies for the inconvenience that this will cause.
ALERT: The power system is expected to be severely constrained this evening, with a risk of loadshedding. Customers are urged to switch off all non-essential appliances in an effort to reduce pressure on the national grid.
@SizweDhlomo
Eish, that's sad indeed. In my neighbourhood garage drivers are expected to hand over their car keys until they've paid. It seems strange but effective.
* Does SA export coal? Yes.
* Is there a coal shortage in SA? No.
* Does Eskom have low coal stockpiles at some power stations? Yes, but the matter is being addressed.
* Was the recent loadshedding caused by coal shortage at Eskom stations? No, it was caused by plant breakdowns.
Increasingly, Eskom is seeing competition from India, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Korea and Sri Lanka, who are also vying for the same coal quality that Eskom uses at most of its power stations.
NOTICE: Eskom is currently evaluating bids for the sale of its non-core subsidiary Eskom Finance Company (EFC), and is therefore not in a position to make any comments on this matter until the process has been completed. The proposed sale of EFC has been on the cards for years.
Lights down and out | A series of street lights on the outskirts of the Lanseria Airport have been vandalised, with the electric cables ripped out. The metal poles will probably be gone next time I drive past that area. The laws are there and are very clear. Implementation needed
@Eusebius
Indeed, the people have spoken.
It has to be said though, that SCOPA, Parliament and South Africa as a whole will be poorer without the presence of APC's Themba Godi.
NOTICE: Eskom will implement stage 2 loadshedding from 9am to 11pm today [Friday, 22 March]. Some power generating units have been brought back to service overnight, resulting in loadshedding being ramped down from stage 4 to stage 1 between 11pm last night and 9am this morning
@RediTlhabi
For the record, as the spokesperson of Eskom, I derive my mandate from the executives. Put differently, the information I share with the media /public comes from the executives, and in some cases from the Board as well. I only make and/or issue approved statements by management.
From the tree to the plate | Most homes in Soshanguve have fruit trees like mangoes and avocados in their yards. Way to go folks! We don't hqve to buy everthing we eat especially if we have bigger gardens.
These questions, although innocent, clearly indicate that the journalists assigned to these stories do not understand their issues their are meant to report on, and worryingly, thus also suggests that they do not read much.
Robotics Whizz Kids | The pupils from Carnarvon High School in the Northern Cape will be representing South Africa at the international robotics competition that will take place next week in Marrakesh, Morocco from 18 - 21 May.
@SKA_Africa
@NRF_News
@dsigovza
"There comes a time when silence is betrayal. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. In the end, we'll remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends" - said Martin Luther King Jr.
@SAEditorsForum
@eNCA
@samkelemaseko
NOTICE: With low diesel levels, low water levels at pumped storage stations, and the persistent plant breakdowns at coal-fired power stations, Eskom will be forced to implement stage 2 loadshedding from 08:00 until 22:00 today. Apologies for the inconvenience that this will cause
In my humble opinion, I think it's about that municipalities and Eskom consider reducing loadshedding duration from 4hrs per cycle to 2hrs. With people generally confined to stay home due to the lockdown regulations, the least we could do is to make their confinement bearable.
@tumisole
Credit to
@MaageMohlabe
for remaining calm despite a fluid situation that could have easily deteriorated into chaos or worse. Big-ups to the guy (cameraman I guess) who intervened at critical stages as well. He too could have been hurt in the process. I hope it all ended well.
Some of us are willing to assist where possible, but the kind of issues that Eskom is dealing with on a daily basis, it just makes life a little difficult for me to teach a reporter how to spell Eskom, amongst others. Please help me so I can help you, I implore you.
Without getting involved in the often polarizing debate about land invasions, from a safety point of view I think politicians should help municipalities and Eskom to discourage people from building any structures underneath or near live electrical infrastructure.
The inclusion of young people in our national assembly and the provincial legislatures is encouraging. Experience can't be bought. Much like respect, it is earned. According to the
@IECSouthAfrica
, the youngest MP is 23 years old, and the youngest MPL is 21. The oldest MP is 90.
Ms Lindi Mthombeni (in purple shirt), is the General Manager of the Free State Operating Unit. We congratulate her and her team of Eskom Guardians for their leadership. Once again, malibongwe!
@ANCWomensLeague
@IOL
@eNCA
@SABCNewsOnline
@LesediFM
Congratulations on your award, Pauli. Well deserved. A big shoutout to my former colleague
@robrose_za
for his win as well. Well done to
@CraigMcKune
and Susan Comrie (
@sajournalist
) for their awards as well. Salute!
@koko_matshela
Et tu, Koko! It's interesting that during your tenure as head of generation and later as interim CEO you had advocated for tough sanctions against those who were leaking information. And now you're feeding off the same carcass for your own impious objectives. Just an observation.
ALERT: There's a risk of loadshedding this afternoon due to a number of breakdowns at various power stations. Eskom encourages residents and businesses to use electricity sparingly in an effort to reduce pressure on the national grid. We'll provide regular updates on this matter
Eskom is currently not implementing loadshedding. The power system is relatively stable today. If there are any localised power outages, please report them to 08600 375 66 if you are an Eskom customer. Municipal customers are urged to call their local authorities.
#PowerUpdate
: Acts of intimidation and sabotage continue today at some of Eskom’s power stations, a move that has begun to threaten the security of power supply. Eskom will continue to provide regular updates about the state of the power system through various media platforms.
Eskom will today launch the Smart Microgrid pilot site in at a farming community in Ficksburg, Free State. Electrification in rural areas where there's no transmission infrastructure can now be done cheaply and quickly by incorporating renewable technologies and battery storage.
Mr Andre de Ruyter was today announced as the new CEO of Eskom, beating 142 other candidates to the post. His mandate includes, but no limited to unpacking the power utility into the 3 separate units. He is from Nampak.
Congratulations, and all the best to you, sir.
Driving through towns such as Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp, Wolmaranstad, Bloemhof & Christiana is nothing more than negotiating your way through a multiple choice of potholes, a move that poses serious hazard to motorists. These munics did little to no road maintenance for years.