Vandals leave Mbombela streets in darkness
Residents have expressed frustration after several recently repaired streetlights in the City of Mbombela were vandalised, plunging streets back into darkness and raising concerns about safety and security.
A number of recently repaired streetlights across the City of Mbombela (CoM) have already been vandalised, leaving many streets in the dark once again.
According to affected residents, the targeted lights included both those that had recently been fixed and others that had been non-functional for some time.
Tanya Smit, a Kremetart Street resident, said the streetlights had been working well after repairs were carried out, but were damaged again on June 19.
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“We do not know who is behind this, but what they are doing is very wrong. We have been begging the municipality to repair these lights, and yet once they are fixed they get broken again. The streets are now dark and unsafe to walk in at night,” she said.
Another resident, Lungile Maqina, said streetlights along Protea Crescent and Koraalboom Avenue, from the R40 downwards, are also out of order.
“We have engaged with the City of Mbombela about it, but they have not yet responded. We understand that the lights had been fixed but are now off again. Whoever is responsible for this damage should be stopped,” he said.
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CoM spokesperson Joseph Ngala confirmed that the municipality is aware of the ongoing vandalism affecting several streets.
In addition to those mentioned above, affected areas include Strydom Street, the corner of Leadwood and Kinaboom streets, Protea Crescent, Marula Street and Stamvrug Street.
“In all these cases, streetlights were vandalised by thieves either removing the circuit breakers or cutting the 2.5 mm electrical wiring. To resolve this problem, we are going to install solar streetlights in the future,” Ngala said.
He appealed to community members to safeguard municipal infrastructure and report any acts of vandalism or suspicious activities to the police or the municipality without delay.
The municipality has already rolled out the installation of solar-powered streetlights in several areas, which so far seems to keep the lights on.
