To shed light on criminal activities and light the way to curbing crime, solar streetlights have been erected in Kemps Road in Estcourt and Ezitendeni Road in Weenen.Umtshezi Municipality decided to initiate this solar streetlight project after a high number of crimes were committed in these areas.

Municipal Manager Nonhlanhla Njoko explains: “There are a large number of community members walking to and from town at night and there have been robberies, especially affecting those who live at the Khwezi Hostel and Khwezi Township who work nightshift in the factories in town.”

She adds that the advantages of the solar streetlights apart from reducing crime, is a lower carbon footprint as well as a number of jobs being created during the installation phase of the project.”The project is funded by the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) for an amount of R6m. The contractor is Zama Traffic Signals cc JV Siyabonga Business Management,” added Ms Njoko.