Despite some residents and motorists noticing workers of the City of Mbombela (CoM) working around the traffic lights at the intersection of Dr Enos Mabuza and Johanna drives, this unending saga remains unresolved.

While motorists hoped it meant the traffic lights are being repaired, it seems workers are merely closing potholes in Johanna Drive. The lights remain off, despite requests for answers from the Department of Technical Services (DTS), which is responsible for the proper functioning of traffic lights within the city.

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The CoM remains mum on the issue and questions posed to the DTS by Lowvelder remain unanswered. The member of the municipal council for technical services, Sipho Sibeko, referred the newspaper to the municipal spokesperson, Joseph Ngala, who, once again, did not respond to queries. Ngala promised that the traffic lights would be fixed in December, but the situation is still unresolved.

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A variation order from the council that was not granted was blamed for the long waiting period to address this ongoing concern. Ngala had said an investigation was pending as to why there were no funds to resolve the problem. “The city manager is engaging with leadership to find a solution to this challenge. We hope that both the traffic and street lights will be energised within a month,” he promised more than two months ago.

Some residents have complained about a the faulty lights and resultant traffic congestion posing a danger to motorists. A positive outcome has not yet been achieved. When schools reopened at the beginning of the year, traffic problems worsened. The residents now demand that the CoM do something and stop its empty promises.