Darkness rules in the west
Pretoria West has become unsafe because of scores of streetlights being out of order.
Darkness still reigns in Proclamation Hill, Pretoria West, where streetlights have not been working for months.
The faulty lights have been reported repeatedly to the metro by residents — and by Rekord.
Yet the Tshwane metro remains idle. Nothing is being done.
With some streetlights the problems is even older. Some of them in Proclamation Hill have not been been shining for more than two years and criminals are flourishing under the cover of darkness.
In August, AfriForum neighbourhood watch counted 79 faulty streetlights in Pretoria West and Proclamation Hill.
Only a few have since been repaired.
Proclamation Hill resident Mike Bosch said lights in Mercury Street and Transoranje Road between Quagga Road and Church Street remained dark.
“My neighbour was mugged and robbed in the darkness a while back on his way home from Spar,” said Bosch.
“He was with his small child and was beaten up, losing a couple of teeth in the process. He also sustained head injuries and was taken to the hospital by a family member.”
Bosch said the whole ordeal left the small child traumatised.
Another resident, David Potter, said faulty lights he had been reporting were fixed last Thursday after two months.
“The streetlights have not been working since the beginning of June. I have even gotten the CPF members in the area to fix the matter but nothing was done,” said Potter.
He said a woman was almost assaulted in the streets while the lights were not working.
Lights in Servaas and Schutte streets, Pretoria West, were still to be repaired, said CPF emergency response team member Engela Vivier.
“The streetlights have not been working for a while now. I have also called the metro and I was told the lights are repaired when they are not repaired,” Vivier said.
“It is dangerous without streetlights in the streets and we help the people as we can.”
A response from Tshwane metro is still being awaited — once again.
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