Eskom investigates kidnapping of employee

JOHANNESBURG - Eskom says police are investigating the kidnapping of one of its employees.

The power utility says on 16 March the worker was shot at in his car and then abducted by seven assailants.

The employee, who had been assaulted was later dropped off in the south of Johannesburg, and then was taken to hospital.

Meanwhile, Eskom has announced that due to higher than anticipated demand, the country has had to be moved immediately to stage three blackouts.

READ: Eskom employee arrested for fraud

On Wednesday Eskom announced that stage three would kick in Thursday, with stage four from 4pm until Friday morning.

The country has enjoyed lighter levels of loadshedding for the past ten days, even some days without any power cuts at all.

However, with stage three cuts in place at short notice again, the grid is clearly under renewed pressure once more.

3000 megawats of power have to be saved during stage three power cuts.