UPDATE: Spotlight on Dolphin Coast street lights

There may be light at the end of the tunnel for dark streets as the municipality looks at outsourcing repairs and maintenance of street lights.

Frustrated residents were glad to meet face-to-face with the director of KwaDukuza Municipality’s electrical department on Monday evening to discuss the never-ending struggle to get the lights working.

Surveys by both the Ballito and Salt Rock neighbourhood watches found that a disturbing amount of lights are not functional, either leaving streets in darkness or shining 24 hours a day.

Electrical department executive director Sibusiso Jali said the main reason for slow turnover of street light repairs and maintenance was a lack of manpower.

“Our challenge right now is that we have only two people servicing the southern half of KDM (from Ballito to Tinley Manor and inland to Shakaskraal), so we are severely understaffed,” Jali said.

“We know there are widespread issues and we are working on solutions to these problems. The first solution, obviously, is to hire more staff.”

Jali said he was aware of poor workmanship in places and sub-standard materials. He said KDM was busy establishing a set of standards to regulate the quality of work done as well as that of the actual materials being used in order to ensure that – once repairs are carried out – the lights continue to function for long periods.

https://www.citizen.co.za/north-coast-courier/106463/dolphin-coast-shrouded-darkness/

Jali added that KDM was looking at bringing in a contractor from another municipality to supplement their own staff. In such a case a tender process will not be required and Jali said they hoped to have them working before June.

Of 60 roads recently surveyed in Salt Rock a full 30% of the street lights did not work, with not a single light working in Coral Place, Lindsay Drive or Scott Lane and more than 70% out of order in Lagoon Drive, Ralph’s Place, Ridge Road, Shrimp Lane and Valley Road.

A survey by the Ballito Neighbourhood Watch (BNW) in February found 57 street lights not working properly. In Ellis Road the lights stayed on 24 hours a day, while the lights in Hawkins Road – from Minerva all the way down to Hops – do not work. Eight of the lights in Hillary Drive are out and in Sable Road, of 20 lights only three work.

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