Deadly pole still not fixed

The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality is consulting with its legal department following an investigation into the electrocution of three-year-old Twané Booysen from Helenvale last month.

But while municipal spokesman Mthubanzi Mniki said the probe by the electricity and energy directorate had been completed, the faulty electricity pole had still not been fixed.

“We cannot give a comment on the contents of the report until [legal] advice has been given.”
Mniki was unable to say why the pole had not yet been fixed.

Little Twané died on Good Friday after she was electrocuted when she touched the faulty electricity pole while playing at a friend’s house. She was buried a week later.

Her family is planning to sue the municipality for negligence, claiming officials have on numerous occasions failed to fix the electricity pole which they said had been reported a number of times.

Twané’s grandmother, Fosia Abrahams, 53, and a neighbour, Rolesia Jonas, both said the last time municipal officials had been at the site was the week she was electrocuted.