We told you so: power pylon collapses after warning ignored

Another day in Nelson Mandela Bay,another collapsed pylon. Residents across large parts of the metro woke up powerless on Wednesday morning after yet another pylon along the 132kV Chelsea-Arlington line in Deer Park collapsed overnight. It is along thevery line inspected by The Heraldin February where another pylon was described as severely corroded.

At the time, The Herald reported that multiple cross-beams on that pylon had rusted away, leaving jagged holes. It appeared the pylon was structurally compromised and “edging closer to collapse”. And now, just five weeks later, another pylon along the line has collapsed.

This is not the first time pylons have collapsed along the line. The collapse of two other major 132kV pylons on the Greenbushes-Bethelsdorp line from Chatty inJanuaryleft large swathes of the metro without electricity and water for several days. The municipality said at the time that the collapse that left the city without power for nearly a week was caused by vandalism and high winds, and not by maintenance failures or corrosion.

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We predict — based on The Herald’s visit to the line in February — the latest pylon collapse will not be the last unless something is urgently done to evaluate the extent of the problem and measures are put in place to address it. Yes, the immediate priority must be the restoration of power as soon as possible as failure to do so affects households and business and possibly places lives at risk. But beyond that, a permanent solution must be found.

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