NMB faces further outages as electricity infrastructure deteriorates, DA warns

NMB faces further outages as electricity infrastructure deteriorates, DA warns

Oversight inspection highlights structural concerns

Gqeberha – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has warned that Nelson Mandela Bay could be heading towards further electricity outages, citing deteriorating power infrastructure and what it describes as prolonged inaction by the metro’s ANC/EFF-led administration.

The warning follows an oversight inspection conducted on Wednesday, 5 February 2026, at a high-voltage electricity pylon near Bushy Park in Gqeberha.

The inspection was led by DA Eastern Cape MPL and Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral candidate, Retief Odendaal, alongside DA Nelson Mandela Bay spokesperson for Electricity and Energy, Cllr Ondela Kepe, and spokesperson for Infrastructure and Engineering, Cllr Dries van der Westhuizen.

Severe corrosion raises collapse risk

According to the DA, the pylon inspected showed visible signs of serious structural deterioration. Odendaal said the lattice masts were heavily corroded, extensively rusted and, in some areas, no longer structurally connected.

He warned that the condition of the tower indicated a high risk of collapse, which could have severe consequences for electricity supply across parts of the metro.

Unused monopoles draw criticism

The DA also raised concerns about monopoles installed approximately eight years ago as part of a municipal project aimed at replacing ageing electricity towers. According to Odendaal, these monopoles remain unused despite the continued decline of existing pylons.

He described the unused infrastructure as evidence of delays in implementing critical upgrades within the electricity department.

Recent pylon collapses worsen outages

The inspection follows the recent collapse of two pylons on the Chelsea/Arlington and Greenbushes/Bloemendal power lines.

These incidents resulted in major electricity outages across Nelson Mandela Bay, with some areas experiencing extended periods without power.

The DA said the collapses highlighted broader systemic failures in infrastructure maintenance.

Municipality ‘warned’ through previous reports

Odendaal pointed to a report finalised on 10 September 2024 and tabled before the Electricity Standing Committee on 22 November 2024.

According to the DA, the report detailed serious maintenance failures on the affected power lines and warned that the pylons were deteriorating and posed a risk to electricity supply.

“The municipality was aware of these risks but failed to act,” the party said.

DA proposes urgent council interventions

In response, the DA Nelson Mandela Bay caucus announced it would submit a motion to the Speaker of Council calling for immediate corrective action.

The proposed motion includes the urgent approval of budget amendments to complete the electricity monopole replacement project.

It also calls for the appointment of a permanent Executive Director for Electricity and Energy, or the immediate advertising of the post if no suitable candidate is available.

Calls for expert support and planning

The DA further wants the secondment of an Eskom specialist through the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs for a three-month period to assist with oversight and stabilisation of the electricity planning function.

Additional demands include the immediate submission of a fully costed turnaround plan for the electricity department and the urgent commissioning of an Electrical Services Master Plan to guide preventative maintenance and rehabilitation programmes.

Political stakes ahead of 2026 elections

Concluding the statement, Odendaal criticised the current political leadership in Nelson Mandela Bay and urged residents to support a DA majority government in the 2026 local government elections, arguing that improved governance is necessary to restore stable service delivery.

At the time of publication, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality had not publicly responded to the DA’s claims.