Eskom CEO Says Transmission Tower Was Cut in Act of Sabotage

(Bloomberg) -- South Africa’s state-owned electricity provider was hit by sabotage when a transmission tower was cut at one of its power stations, according to Chief Executive Officer Andre de Ruyter

The incident that occurred Wednesday night at Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd.’s Lethabo station south of Johannesburg, causing the pylon to collapse on a power line, “was not an economic crime, this was clearly now an act of sabotage,” De Ruyter said in an online briefing Friday. There was evidence that a cutting instrument was used and nothing was stolen, but a motive is not known, he said.

Eskom is struggling to generate enough power to meet demand with aging infrastructure that regularly breaks down, impairing South Africa’s economic growth. The utility also plans to transition from using coal to to cleaner sources to generate most of its energy.

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