City Power shines light on streetlight repairs and future innovations
After months of darkness, City Power restores most streetlights on Gordon Road, but theft and vandalism persists for the entity.
The streetlights in Northcliff Ext 19 have been a persistent issue since February, leaving the community fearful of the dark.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena explained that the non-functional streetlights were caused by a cable fault and the theft of LED light fittings. “The fault was traced, located, and repaired, restoring ten streetlights.” However, he noted that five streetlights remain off due to ongoing theft and vandalism.
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Mangena highlighted the next steps. “We will inform our security and risk team, who will open a theft case at the police station before proceeding with an insurance claim.” He emphasised the high cost of LED fittings, approximately R2 000 each, and the necessity of following all procedures before lodging a claim.
The scale of theft and vandalism in Roodepoort is severe, with criminals frequently targeting aerial bundled conductor (ABC) cables, LED fittings, control boxes, poles, and wiring.
“Stolen ABC cables are often used to power illegal connections in informal settlements, causing infrastructure damage and serious safety risks.”
To combat this, City Power is phasing out conventional streetlights, with overhead ABC stringing, replacing them with solar-powered streetlights. Mangena explained: “These solar lights contain no high-value components that attract vandals, and each operates independently, meaning that if one is damaged, it does not plunge the entire street into darkness, as happens with the interconnected ABC system.”
Read more: City Power disconnects customers owing R21m
Regarding the broader performance of streetlight maintenance in Johannesburg, City Power achieved 71.43% of its service level standards (SLS) during the fourth quarter of the 2024/25 financial year. This included meeting targets for average repair times across various road types and installing 1 139 public lights, against a target of 700.
Looking ahead, City Power plans to roll out smart lighting control systems and energy monitoring technology in the 2025/26 financial year to enable real-time performance tracking, predictive maintenance, and enhanced operational efficiency.
Residents are encouraged to help safeguard public infrastructure by reporting suspicious activities to City Power’s risk control team at 011 490 7900 / 011 490 7911, or via WhatsApp on 083 579 4497.
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