Fight for lights in Tzaneen streets
It seems that streetlights in Tzaneen only serve to carry election posters while criminals take advantage of Tzaneen’s lack of working streetlights.
René Pohl, ward councillor and executive committee member at the Greater Tzaneen Municipality (GTM), says that most of the streets in Tzaneen’s residential areas are without streetlights. “The darkness in almost all of Tzaneen’s streets is due to disrepair and is leading to unbelievably high crime in the residential areas,” says Pohl.
She says that drug dealers and thieves are taking advantage of the darkness and that residents are fed up with the situation. There is however a glimmer of hope with Pohl daily reporting faulty streetlights to the office of the mayor as residents report it to her. According to Pohl, the R1 million allocated for the repair of streetlights in Tzaneen is not enough.
Also read: Power boxes and streetlights targeted in Tzaneen
“We hope that there will be more money allocated to repair faulty streetlights in the next GTM budget,” she says.
On a community WhatsApp group where faulty streetlights are reported, it was stated that the lights in Frederick Street and Cedar Close have not worked in more than two years while the lights in Jannie Street have not worked in four years. In Alan Burnam Street not a single light is working. During a Ward 14 community feedback meeting held at the GTM on April 11, 23 streets with faulty streetlights were identified in the ward alone.
GTM media liaison, Vutivi Makhubele says: “Our Electricity Department is dedicated to maintaining streetlights in Ward 14 and Ward 15. We have two Cherry Pickers assigned to this task.”
“One of the Cherry Pickers covers the areas of Nkowankowa, Lenyenye, Letsitele, and the villages. The other Cherry Picker services Tzaneen Town’s suburbs, including Ward 14 and Ward 15. Currently, our team is addressing a cable fault on Adshade Street and repairing streetlights at Riverside Estate,” says Makhubele.
She adds that streetlight malfunctions can occur for various reasons, such as reaching the end of their lifespan or due to cable theft. “We are working diligently to ensure a swift resolution to these issues,” says Makhubele.
Residents who would like to report faulty streetlights can contact René Pohl at 079 707 1955 on WhatsApp.
