Eskom pylon collapses in Worcester area due to vandalism and theft

Eskom has warned that criminal activity poses a threat to the stability of the Eskom supply in the Worcester area in the Western Cape after a pylon collapsed due to theft and vandalism.

The power utility said the pylon was discovered by technicians after an investigation of the site.

Parts of the pylon were illegally removed, leading to the tower collapsing.

According to the power utility, despite the bad weather, the electricity supply to Eskom customers is not affected as the network is robust enough.

“Eskom appeals to the public to report criminal activity that leads to paying customers being negatively affected by prolonged outages. Eskom teams continue to be resilient in ensuring the electricity network's integrity is restored despite the inclement weather,” it said.

On Friday Eskom said its technicians had restored supply to the Khayelitsha area and were expecting to restore the supply to Ladismith, Betty's Bay, Kleinmond and Rooi Els after the bad weather that affected parts of the Western Cape this week.

The power utility warned customers to treat all electrical installations as live for the duration of any outages that may affect them.

“Eskom wishes to apologise for the inconvenience during these unfavourable weather conditions and urges customers to remain patient as we navigate this storm,” Eskom said.

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