Centurion streetlight woes persist, many areas remain unlit
Residents in the area are extremely concerned for their safety and want to take matters into their own hands.
Residents of Centurion continue to grapple with a significant issue of non-functioning streetlights in the area.
While the Tshwane metro has made strides in repairing some streetlights in Ward 78, many areas remain in the dark.
Recent repair efforts were noted in Doringkloof and Zwartkop.
Ward 78 councillor Peter Sutton said streetlights along Ystersteen Street, Foskoriet Avenue and Aspen Crescent in Zwartkop were fixed on January 17.
He said in Doringkloof, repairs took place on December 3, addressing the control box issues across several streets, including Seder, Zambezi, Molopo, Palala, Sonja and Swarthout.
“I urge residents in any of these streets to reach out if they disagree with the feedback on the repairs conducted.”
However, the situation remains dire in other parts of Centurion.
Ward 66 councillor Ina Strijdom emphasised that this issue remains a city-wide problem.
“Non-functioning streetlights are still a problem all around and we are still facing the same problem in Hennopspark, Clubview and Bronberrick.”
Strijdom added there haven’t been any repairs done to the streetlights in her ward.
In Ward 57, councillor David Farquharson raised concerns about residents’ safety at night.
He said there have been incidents in which pedestrians have tripped over unseen manholes at night, due to inadequate lighting.
“Driving at night continues to be a problem because motorists end up bumping into obstacles,” he said.
Chairperson of the Lyttelton Sector 2 CPF Merle van Staden stated that multiple crimes still occur due to the absence of working streetlights.
She said common crimes include house break-ins and vehicle thefts.
Recently, the CPF reported an uptick in thefts through open windows and other property-related crimes.
Frustrated residents in Rooihuiskraal North are considering taking action to remedy the situation, with some streetlights having been non-functional for years.
Resident Neil Stolle is advocating for a proactive solution of installing solar lights on existing streetlight poles.
“We want to follow the right protocol and get approval from the city so that we can start this initiative soon.”
He added that crime has worsened due to the lack of proper lighting.
In July of last year, the metro said that it was working on addressing the problem of about 6 900 faulty streetlights across Centurion.
At the time, metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed that efforts were underway to tackle this backlog, with a dedicated plan to restore lighting in the affected areas.
To further combat vandalism, Mashigo noted that a pilot project was initiated in Lyttelton to install solar streetlights in partnership with the community.
However, despite these initiatives residents remain in the dark.
Rekord reached out to the metro for an update on these ongoing issues but did not receive comment by the time of publication.
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