CoE in Alberton has lost the ability to maintain street lights

The article in the Alberton Record, dated May 25, 2022, regarding dysfunctional street lights in Witivoor street refers.

Dysfunctional streetlights in Alberton are not limited to Witivoor Street. Numerous street lights are on 24/7 for months now while Eskom is trying to keep the lights on.

Before you state that they are on permanently to prevent cable theft please explain why the lights on the other side of the street are on during the night only i.e. those that are working.

These street lights that are unnecessarily on 24/7 can be considered economic sabotage.

Also, look at the number of street lights hanging at an angle. They hang at an angle for months before they eventually dislodge and hang on the wires. Eventually, they just fall down.

Then there is a block in Appelgrein Street where the streetlights have been off since the end of February. Numerous reports on the MyCOE app have had no impact.

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Recently, I got an SMS stating that these reports are now closed, but still the lights do not work.

Also, a mail on the issue, kindly forwarded by the ward councillor to several people in the CoE, has had no effect and no response whatsoever.

Now for the ultimate in dysfunctionality.

Since late in June this year, you can no longer report defective street lights on the MyCOE app. This is absolutely brilliant. I assume they believe that if you cannot report a problem it is not a problem. Telephonically reporting the problem to the call centre resulted in an SMS stating: “No power: single customer, energy electrical”. This implies call centre has no menu item for defective street lights.

A mail to the call centre explaining the problem also had no effect.

In the above-quoted article the honourable spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini, reiterated that complaints must be lodged. I would like him to respond to the above sensibly, and please, I do not need a lecture on the purpose of street lights. My view of the above also explains how one should lodge a street light problem to the call centre since the menu item does not exist in the call centre nor on the MyCOE app.

From the above facts, it can be concluded that CoE Alberton has lost the ability to maintain street lights.
Frustrated Brackenhurst resident

• The Alberton Record has sent the letter to the CoE for comment and will publish comment as soon as it has been received.

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