Gordhan said that an update on the situation will be provided in the next 10 to 14 days.

“We must find the solutions as quickly as possible. We must find the time and money to get the maintenance done that is required. Equally important is corruption at Eskom because you heard at the Zondo commission. It has impacted on the treasury functions within Eskom, it impacted on skills, good skills being marginalised,” said Gordhan.

The power utility's been implementing rolling blackouts for nearly a week.

Gordhan says government and Eskom has not communicated frankly and regularly with the South African public.

Eskom will make more power cuts this week as it struggles with capacity shortages that threaten to stymie President Cyril Ramaphosa's efforts to boost investments and economic growth.

Eskom supplies more than 90 percent of the power in South Africa but has suffered repeated faults at its coal-fired power stations, along with low water levels at hydroelectric plants and diesel shortages.

Ramaphosa said on Monday that the power cuts were very worrying and authorities were working every hour of the day to restore power.

The situation worsened on Saturday after Eskom lost its electricity imports from the Cahora Bassa hydroelectric system in Mozambique, which contributes more than 1,000 MW to the South African grid, after a powerful cyclone.

Eskom said late on Sunday it would continue to implement rolling blackouts on Monday and Tuesday with 4,000 megawatts to be cut from the grid on a rotational basis.

Businesses have been disrupted, particularly the small- and medium-sized firms which do not have access to backup power sources such as diesel generators.

The Ministry of Public Enterprises, which oversees Eskom, said in a statement late on Sunday that the utility would be assisted to fast-track the procurement of essential goods and services required to rehabilitate and repair power generating units.

To supplement its ageing power plants, Eskom is developing the Kusile and Medupi projects, but both are years behind schedule and tens of billions of rands over budget. The few units at Kusile and Medupi that are online, perform unreliably.

eNCA