POLOKWANE – Weeks of broken traffic lights have turned Polokwane’s daily commute into a grinding gridlock, raising safety concerns, particularly around schools.

Review Online asked readers on social media to report non-functioning lights and the result was shocking, with 21 traffic lights reportedly out of order.

Residents say the problem has become part of their daily commute, with several busy intersections operating without functioning traffic signals for extended periods.

A long list of dead lights

The intersections at Hospital and Dorp streets, and Hospital and Biccard streets near Hoërskool Pietersburg are among those residents say have been without functioning traffic lights for weeks, creating particular challenges during school drop-off and pick-up times.

A representative from Hoërskool Pietersburg said the situation is affecting learners daily.

“The traffic light has been broken for over six weeks, and the school is really struggling. Because we finish at the same time as the nearby schools, traffic backs up badly. Children are arriving late in the mornings, and afternoons have become chaotic. The fault has been reported, but nothing has been done.”

Other intersections repeatedly mentioned by residents include West Street and Ben Harris Drive in Westenburg, several intersections along Nelson Mandela Drive, Grobler Street near Savannah Mall, Landdros Mare Street, Munnik Street and the N1 intersection with Lawton Road near Northern Muslim School.

Councillor blames theft and poor stock control

DA Ward Councillor Jacques Joubert says the issue has become widespread across the city.

“There are numerous traffic lights out all over the city, some for months. The electrical department knows which ones are not working because we have continuously reported them all.”

According to Joubert, the explanation repeatedly given is that replacement controller boxes are unavailable.

He questioned whether sufficient stock levels were maintained and said the ongoing theft and vandalism of municipal infrastructure continue to worsen the problem.

Joubert also referred to previous commitments made by the Executive Mayor Makoro John Mpe during Integrated Development Plan (IDP) feedback meetings that security companies would be appointed to protect municipal infrastructure.

“Details have still not been forthcoming. The status quo remains and worsens weekly.”

He further criticised the city’s political leadership, saying residents continue to experience poor service delivery while follow-up queries often go unanswered.

What the municipality says

The Polokwane Municipality has acknowledged that approximately 15 traffic signal intersections are currently non-functional due to the theft and vandalism of traffic signal controllers.

Municipal spokesperson, Thipa Selala confirmed that the municipality is aware of every affected intersection and that replacement controllers are currently being procured.

“The primary cause of the delay is the theft of traffic signal controllers, which are essential for the operation of the traffic lights.”

According to the municipality, installation will begin immediately once the new controllers have been delivered, with all affected traffic lights expected to be operational before the end of the month.

On the cost of theft, the municipality said it loses millions of rands every year to infrastructure theft and vandalism across the city, though the exact figure linked to traffic signals specifically is still being verified. Money meant for service delivery and infrastructure maintenance is instead being redirected to replace stolen equipment, delaying other projects.

Officials appealed to residents to assist by reporting suspicious activity around municipal infrastructure.

While the municipality confirmed that security measures have been intensified to protect critical infrastructure, it declined to disclose where security personnel have been deployed, citing operational and security concerns.

The municipality said repair turnaround times depend on the nature of the fault. Routine electrical faults can generally be repaired quickly, while incidents involving theft require specialised equipment to be procured before repairs can be completed.

Treat these intersections as four-way stops

For now, motorists are urged to treat non-functioning traffic lights as four-way stops and to exercise extra caution, particularly during peak traffic hours and around schools.

Intersections residents identified as affected include:

• Hospital Street and Dorp Street
• Hospital Street and Biccard Street
• Suid Street and Church Street (R37)
• Biccard Street and Rissik Street
• Landdros Mare Street and Pietersburg Street
• Landdros Mare Street and Veldspaat Street
• Landdros Mare Street and the N1 Industrial Park intersection
• Nelson Mandela Drive and Fluoorspar Street
• Nelson Mandela Drive and Doloriet Street
• Nelson Mandela Drive and Vermikuliet Street
• Nelson Mandela Drive and Rissik Street
• West Street and Ben Harris Drive (Matlala Road/Westenburg)
• Schoeman Street and Jorissen Street
• Munnik Street and De Wet Drive
• Munnik Street and Aloe Vera Street
• Grobler Street entrance to Savannah Mall
• Grobler Street and Dahl Street
• Grobler Street and General Joubert Street
• Rissik Street and Dahl Street
• Rissik Street and Bok Street
• N1 and Lawton Road near Northern Muslim School