Repeated cable theft, vandalism and funding constraints are plunging major key routes into darkness in the east of Pretoria.

The Tshwane metro confirmed that key routes remain affected and repair timelines are uncertain at this stage.

This follows after residents raised complaints about non-functioning streetlights in the east, especially with Solomon Mahlangu Drive being a major headache.

Residents describe Solomon Mahlangu Drive as ‘pitch black’ at night, and have raised serious concerns about road safety, visibility for motorists, and the safety of pedestrians.

Shawn Fouché, a resident and spokesperson for the Lyttelton Section 4 Community Policing Safety Forum (LS4 CPSF), said residents have acknowledged and appreciated the city’s initial efforts to repair the streetlights on Solomon Mahlangu Drive and Delmas Road.

Fouché said, however, residents report that the lights were only functional for about one week before failing again early last year on the section between Solomon Mahlangu Drive and Barnard Street.

“Since then, no visible progress has been made to restore lighting in the area.”

She said the lack of lighting poses risks not only to motorists but also increases the potential for crime and accidents.

Residents have also raised concerns that several streetlights on some east roads appear to function during the day but switch off at night, leaving stretches of the road dark.

The metro has acknowledged that streetlights between Solomon Mahlangu Drive and Barnard Street are not functioning, despite recent repair work.

According to metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, the outages are primarily due to continued theft and vandalism targeting public lighting infrastructure.

“Theft, vandalism and damages on the public lighting infrastructure are the causes of these streetlights not functioning,” Mashigo said.

He said a fault has been logged for the affected section, but the metro cannot provide a clear timeline for repairs because of a growing backlog and limited resources.

The same streetlight issues are affecting other major routes, including Delmas Road, De Villebois Mareuil Drive and Jacques Street.

Mashigo said the refurbishment projects had commenced on some of these main routes, including Delmas Road and De Villebois Mareuil Drive, but the work has since been halted due to operational budget constraints.

“Some of the main routes are severely impacted by damage, due to theft and vandalism on public lighting infrastructure,” he said.

Mashigo said a technical team will be dispatched to investigate the reported fault.

“In the interim, the city has escalated the matter of theft and vandalism to the TMPD. The affected area has been added to a theft hotspot list, with visible policing expected to increase in an effort to curb infrastructure vandalism.”

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