No money to check street lights

After noting the street lights in the parking area at Willard Beach had been on 24/7 for a number of days I decided to react.
After numerous calls and being sent from pillar to post I spoke to the manager of the department, told him about the problem and was told in no uncertain terms that they did not have the money to have somebody checking street lights and that if this was the level of service we, as residents required, the municipal rates would have to increase by 30%.
I am not qualified to do the calculation but maybe, just maybe, if all the street lights were off when they were supposed to be, the saving in electricity may pay for someone additional to carry out the work we already pay for as residents. What really sticks in my throat is the fact that we are bombarded with requests to save electricity and have to be subjected to load shedding when the council is the worst offender.
Oh, I forgot to mention – a week later the lights in the parking area are still on!
ATHOL BEHR
Ballito