#Letter: Non-functional streetlights in KwaDukuza a priority

Privi Makhan, Infrastructure and Technical Portfolio Committee spokesperson for the Democratic Alliance in KwaDukuza writes:

The recent spike in criminal activity in our communities and vandalism of our public amenities, again cast a spotlight on one of the most contentious issues in KwaDukuza – non-functional public lighting.

With a budget allocation of just over R6-million in the 2021/22 financial year for repairs and maintenance of existing streetlights, as well as the installation of new lights, the burning question remains – why do our communities remain in the dark?

The backlog in dealing with streetlight repairs across KwaDukuza is compounded by a number of factors, among them an unreliable vehicle fleet, a staff complement with a 41 percent vacancy rate, and most recently a depletion of the available budget for repairs and maintenance.

At the IAT Portfolio Committee meeting held on February 16, the DA recommended that any adjusted budgets for contractor costs relating to streetlights must solely be for repairs and maintenance.

Investigative work by contractors should not be permitted; it is simply unconscionable that departments deem it necessary to allow contractors to undertake investigative work without a clearly defined scope.

This component should only be undertaken by internal teams.

The community is encouraged to continue reporting streetlights outages to 060 900 3908 and ensure a reference number is obtained.

We will continue our oversight duties on this critical service delivery challenge and provide feedback to our communities.

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