Parts of the Nelson Mandela Bay metro in the Eastern Cape are grappling with a significant power disruption following the collapse of a transmission pylon overnight on the Chelsea transmission line. The incident has cut electricity supply to areas including Summerstrand and Walmer in Gqeberha, impacting homes, the hospitality sector, and businesses ranging from small enterprises to large operations.
Municipal technical teams and electrical engineers responded swiftly, activating an emergency repair programme. Contractors and officials are on site conducting assessments and commencing restoration work. Initial estimates indicate that power could be restored within approximately 10 days, though efforts are underway to shorten this timeline.
This marks the second major electrical outage in the metro this year and continues a troubling pattern of unplanned disruptions. Over the past two years, sporadic outages have been attributed to vandalism and aging infrastructure. Since January 2023, municipal records show 202 unplanned power outages in key industrial and commercial zones.
The collapsed pylon is part of infrastructure identified as problematic. Earlier this week, technical teams carried out oversight inspections on the line after detecting structural concerns on several pylons. In response, the municipality initiated procurement and budgeting processes to prioritize urgent repairs. However, the affected pylon failed before these measures could be implemented.
A municipal spokesperson emphasized the urgency of addressing vulnerable pylons, noting that assessments have revealed risks of imminent failure across similar structures. “We have seen that there is a need for us to start prioritizing the pylons because we have seen that these pylons might fall any time sooner,” the spokesperson said. “So we have been looking for the money to start the work but we can safely say that we are here on site with the contractors [and] with the officials of the municipality. They have already done the assessment to this incident that has happened.”
The outages have caused widespread economic repercussions, including lost sales for businesses, canceled bookings, delays in fulfilling orders, and damage to the metro’s reputation as an investment destination. While load shedding has decreased in recent times, unplanned interruptions have emerged as a persistent challenge for residents and the local economy.
Municipal teams continue working to stabilize the line and expedite repairs to minimize the impact on affected communities.