Darkness still looms over Birchleigh
Birchleigh residents remain in the dark because the City of Ekurhuleni has not made any alternative plans for them.
Streetlight theft in Kempton Park has increased.
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This issue was highlighted when vandalised streetlights were recently found abandoned in the field between Cloete Avenue and Monkor Street.
Antonette May and Peter Banbury, who were walking their dogs, found the lights.
“We were walking our dogs with a flashlight and noticed something in the field. When we got closer, we realised it was streetlights,” said Banbury.
According to him, the field’s long grass was a convenient spot for thieves to hide their loot.
The Kempton Express previously reported that the community highlighted streetlight theft in various public meetings.
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Other community members said the streetlights were improperly secured and fell off when the poles were shooked.
At a recent meeting in Birchleigh, Norkem Park SAPS Warrant Officer Barbara-Anne Ferreira said officers had found the scrap metal yard where streetlight transformers were made.
She said that the facility fell outside the Kempton Park jurisdiction, but police officers had reported the matter to the relevant police station to solve this matter.
A resident of Birchleigh, an area hard hit by streetlight theft, Jan Vermaak, spoke to the Kempton Express.
“As residents, we are willing to work with the City of Ekurhuleni.
“We are willing to protect our streetlights after they get replaced, and we are willing to work together to find solutions to protect our infrastructure”, he said.
The Kempton Express asked the City of Ekurhuleni for comment by June 29, requesting comment by July 3. At the time of going to print, no comment was received.
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