Tshwane metro aware of streetlight pole theft
Tshwane metro to replace all stolen steel streetlight poles with wooden poles in coming months.
Tshwane metro’s energy and electricity department has undertaken to replace all stolen metal streetlight poles and cables in Roger Dayson and Quagga roads, Pretoria West.
This follows stolen streetlight poles which had apparently been sold to scrap metal dealers in the area. Recently Rekord reported on the theft of streetlight poles in Pretoria West after residents complained about the problem.
“We are aware of streetlight poles and cable theft. We are busy with a project of replacing all stolen steel poles with wooden ones and aluminium overhead cables,” Tshwane metro spokesperson, Lindela Mashigo said.
He added that one culprit was arrested last week in Quagga Road. The culprit was apparently caught red-handed, cutting the pole and is still in police custody.
The theft of streetlight poles is a great concern for residents who complained that poles were stolen every week in the area. “Already driving down Quagga Road one can see all the open spaces where poles have been stolen. This is ridiculous. It is tax payer’s money going to waste. We will see what the metro will do about this,” said the South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco) chairperson Nagesh Chetty.
He said streetlight poles theft has been going on for months now and scrap metal dealerships are the main cause of the problem because most of the cables and poles stolen are sold at the dealerships.
Tshwane metro police was called to a scrap metal dealership in Quagga Road last week Wednesday after Rekord saw two men carrying what looked like streetlight poles into a dealership.
“We went to the dealership and were unable to find anything there,” metro police Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said. The metro did not mention by when residents can start seeing the wooden poles in the area but the project has started.
Read: Theft of streetlight poles rife
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