Pretoria North residents and motorists face further delays at The Poort intersection, between Wonderboom Junction and the Hector Peterson A Re Yeng bus station, after the Tshwane Metro confirmed that newly repaired infrastructure was vandalised and stolen.

The municipality had to return to the site for additional repairs.

The traffic lights at the intersection were initially disabled after electrical cables were stolen, leaving the signals flashing red and requiring motorists to approach the intersection as a four-way stop.

At that time, the metro had confirmed that the cable theft occurred on the western side of the intersection and that a technician had inspected the site after it was reported on July 27.

The latest development, however, has complicated the metro’s efforts to restore the intersection.

According to metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, repair work has already been carried out at The Poort, but criminals struck again during the restoration process.

“The metro has carried out repairs at the vandalised traffic signal intersection. However, during the restoration process, further infrastructure was damaged and stolen, disrupting progress and necessitating an additional assessment,” said Mashigo.

He confirmed that the repair team had been deployed to the intersection and undertook restoration work.

“Regrettably, some of the newly installed materials were subsequently vandalised and stolen, requiring further repairs and the replacement of damaged infrastructure. This setback has delayed the full restoration of the traffic signals,” he said.

The metro is now assessing the latest damage before it can determine exactly what remedial work is required.

For residents who have already endured the disruption caused by the initial cable theft, the latest setback has fuelled concerns over the ability to protect repaired infrastructure from being targeted again.

Ward 2 councillor Quentin Meyer previously described cable theft as a major concern for Pretoria North, warning that the problem affects not only traffic lights but also streetlights, businesses, households and other critical infrastructure.

The scale of the problem was highlighted by the metro earlier, which revealed that seven traffic signal sites in Pretoria North had been vandalised or affected by cable theft within three months.

Meyer also raised concerns about the financial implications of repeatedly replacing stolen infrastructure, saying that money spent dealing with cable theft could instead be directed towards service delivery, road maintenance and pothole repairs.

Mashigo said the metro recognised residents’ frustration and was considering several measures to protect traffic signal infrastructure.

“The metro continues to strengthen measures to protect critical traffic signal infrastructure from vandalism and theft,” he said.

These measures include closer co-operation between municipal departments, enhanced monitoring and law-enforcement operations, as well as considering infrastructure designs and materials that are more resistant to theft and vandalism.

The metro is also exploring the appointment of specialised contractors to accelerate the rehabilitation of severely affected intersections and improve the long-term resilience of traffic signal infrastructure.

Meanwhile, motorists are still waiting for clarity on when the traffic lights at The Poort will finally be restored.

David Peters, who regularly travels through the intersection, previously told Rekord, “Every few weeks there seems to be another problem caused by cable theft. It creates long traffic queues, and motorists become impatient.

“It is dangerous, especially during rush hour when so many vehicles are using the intersection,” he said.

Another resident, Christian Walters, said the cost of replacing stolen infrastructure ultimately affects all ratepayers.

“Residents end up paying for these crimes one way or another. The metro keeps spending money replacing cables instead of improving services. It feels like we are constantly moving backwards.”

Mashigo said the metro was assessing the latest damage and determining the scope of the remedial work required. No revised completion date has yet been provided.

“A revised completion date will be communicated once the assessment has been concluded and the necessary resources secured,” he said.

The metro said its priority was to restore the traffic signals safely while reducing the risk of recurring damage.

In the meantime, motorists are expected to continue exercising caution at the intersection.

The metro had previously arranged for OUTsurance pointsmen to assist with traffic flow and safety during peak periods while the lights remained out of operation.

For residents, however, the latest setback is another reminder of the wider impact of cable theft on the community.

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