Task teams from the Tshwane metro busy with repairs after power towers fell on the N4 highway in Pretoria. (Photo: Twitter / Selby Bokaba)
The N4 motorway (east) was reopened to traffic at 16:15 on Monday after high voltage power lines were removed from this motorway.
Large-scale damage was caused when several power towers fell on the highway on Sunday evening. The road was closed at the Simon Vermooten and Solomon Mahlangu exits until Monday afternoon. The incident also left more than 30 areas in the Tshwane metro without power, including neighborhoods in Pretoria East, Pretoria North and Centurion. It is not yet clear when power supply will be restored.
According to Cilliers Brink, Tshwane’s mayor, 300 MW of electricity remained down due to the enormous damage to the towers and power cables.
In a video that was shared on Twitter on Monday afternoon, Brink says that he has already met with the operational manager of the Tshwane metro and the head of electricity.
Repair work will apparently be undertaken according to “milestones”, the first of which was to reopen the N4 and lift the high voltage cables from the road and place them on structures.
Brink says the city will need the assistance of Eskom for the repair work – including equipment and expertise.
He believes it is “of national interest that this problem be resolved as soon as possible”.
Brink it earlier already said that repeated looting and vandalism could possibly be the cause of the incident, and confirmed on Monday afternoon that three of the fallen power towers were indeed damaged.
“There are therefore strong indications that crime played a major role in this event, and that is why the Tshwane Metropolitan Police is now involved in the operation to ensure that further criminality does not take place.”
A photo of a Twitter entry with a photo of a damaged power tower that was shared on Twitter in October last year is currently being widely shared on social media. In this entry, the user warns the Tshwane metro that the power tower along the N4 at the Solomon Mahlangu exit is damaged and is going to fall.
@CityTshwane the integrity of your line is compromised. The tower is at N4 offramp (east bound) to Solomon Mahlangu.This line will collapse on N4 since the members are stolen. Furthermore, 2 lines connecting Blyde have their cables exposed & 1 stolen at same point as previously. pic.twitter.com/Ua4TDLz99O
— Martin (@9iceFacts) October 8, 2022
Brink says he is aware of the post and that the metro will investigate, although at this stage there is no indication whether the power tower in the photo is indeed one of the power towers that have now fallen over.
“What is also of great importance now is that the city investigates all power towers and that the police and Tshwane, as well as the rest of the country take practical steps to ensure that further criminality does not take place.”
[WATCH] I just had an operational meeting with the City Manager and other senior relevant officials. We are prioritising this pylons collapse and power outages matter. @CilliersB @CityTshwane pic.twitter.com/Z0SctlZ6zG
— Mayor Cilliers Brink (@tshwane_mayor) April 10, 2023
The incident left the following areas without power:
- Leeuwfontein
- Sable Hills
- Glenway Estate
- Baviaanspoort prison
- Camel drive
- Derdepoort (Zambezi Manor)
- Relax
- Mamelodi
- red plate
- Waltloo
- Silverton
- Silver Lakes
- Faerie Glen
- Equestria
- Mooikloof
- Doornpoort
- Waterfall
- Grootvlei East
- Grootvlei West
- Bultfontein
- Red wall
- Vastfontein
- Lyttelton
- The Holdings
- Moregloed
- Waverley
- Kilderpark
- First rest
- Queenswood
- Mountain garden
- Kuduspoort
- Montana Gardens
- Part of Moreleta Park
- Barley fountain
- Woodhill
- Woodlands
- Pretorius Park
- Montana
- Sinoville
These are the additional affected areas – Garsfontein, Woodhill, Woodlands, Pretorius Park, Montana and Sinoville https://t.co/oQnsSLhMV3
— City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) April 10, 2023
