Pretoria: Eskom has reached a new milestone having recorded its longest stretch of not implementing load shedding in five years. South Africa has not experienced planned rolling blackouts since 26 March this year. Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, told a media briefing that this is an indication that the government's Energy Action Plan, coupled with Eskom's Generation Recovery Plan, is showing resilience.According to South African Government News Agency, Dr. Ramokgopa stated, "This means two things: load shedding is still an area that requires intervention. I have said that at the right time, when we are meant to call it, we'll [say] it's over but I'm not in a position to make that firm pronouncement." He further explained that the system's resilience indicates its capability to function without load shedding even if multiple units fail. The Minister emphasized the importance of sustaining this momentum, highlighting that the system is performing beyond expectations.Dr. Ramokg opa noted that Eskom has significantly reduced the megawatts not available at any given time from about 16,400 MW to approximately 11,235 MW, marking an improvement of 5,000 MW compared to the same period last year. This improvement represents a 7.3% increase in the Energy Availability Factor. Additionally, Eskom has spent at least R15 billion less than the previous year, which will influence future electricity supply costs.The Minister also discussed the ongoing Draft Integrated Resource Plan 2023 (IRP 2023), revealing that some 4,338 public comments had been received, along with multiple public consultations and engagements. Of these comments, 136 were substantive, providing challenges or suggestions for improving the model. The Draft IRP is South Africa's plan to ensure electricity supply security by balancing supply and demand while considering environmental and cost factors.Dr. Ramokgopa indicated that further engagement with stakeholders would occur, with a physical meeting planned for the following week. The inputs from these engagements will be consolidated into a report for Cabinet's final decision on the plan.