POLOKWANE – The Polokwane Municipality says R10m from its electricity maintenance budget has been allocated to specifically improve streetlight functionality.

The municipal spokesperson, Thipa Selala, responded to several questions posed by the Polokwane Review-Observer in response to a month-long documentation of non-functioning streetlights in the city by our editorial team.

@polokwanereview The Review-Observer editorial team spent the past month documenting non-functioning streetlights across the city — a long-standing issue that continues to raise safety concerns for motorists, residents, and pedestrians. This video highlights just some of the areas affected. The Polokwane Municipality has responded — do you think their response is a valid reason? #Polokwane #ReviewOnline #Limpopo #PolokwaneMunicipality ♬ original sound – plkreview

During our documentation, we also noted the following in the CBD:

Schoeman Street: 59 streetlights; 0 working (0%)

Landdros Mare Street: 89 streetlights; 22 working (25%)

Hans van Rensburg: 77 streetlights; 19 working (25%)

Streetlights not working has been an ongoing issue in the city dating as far back as 2020 and poses safety concerns for motorists, residents, and pedestrians.

Selala says they acknowledge the concerns raised regarding non-functional streetlights across the municipality and that the allocation of funds is further being strengthened through the recruitment of additional skilled personnel.

This will be in the form of four new artisans dedicated to streetlight repairs, as well as the acquisition of four picker trucks to increase operational capacity.

He told the Review-Observer that the primary cause behind the widespread outages is the ongoing theft and vandalism of key streetlight infrastructure, including control boxes and pole wiring.

“These criminal acts not only compromise lighting but also place a significant burden on available resources, leading to delays in addressing faults and faster depletion of repair materials,” he said.

When asked about a repair timeline, Selala said a weekly maintenance schedule has been rolled out starting on Monday (July 1) with targeted areas prioritised based on severity and reported cases.

“For locations that are repeatedly affected by theft, the municipality will explore more secure repair methods, including welding pole inspection covers closed and replacing vulnerable control boxes with tamper-resistant enclosures,” he said.

Selala added that it is important to highlight that this is a continuous programme rather than a once-off intervention.

“While timelines may vary depending on the extent of damage in different zones, the commitment remains to make regular and measurable improvements to the city’s illumination levels each week,” he said.

On the issue of safety of its residents, Selala said the municipality recognises the link between non-functional lighting and increased vulnerability to crime.

“Resident safety remains a top priority and restoring streetlights is seen as a key part of enhancing urban safety and livability. We therefore urge community members to work with us by reporting vandalism and suspicious activities to the nearest law enforcement agencies or through our MyPolokwane Citizen App,” he said.

Feedback on the issue by residents, however, has not been positive, with many noting a lack of action by the municipality.

One resident told the Review-Observer: “It’s a big problem and danger on our roads. So many break-ins happen because there are no lights. We live outside the town and where we have to turn off to our place, there is no lighting to show it’s the turn-off. You can easily get confused at night and drive past, especially with oncoming traffic. The road from Louis Trichardt is very dangerous. There have been many accidents and if there was at least a light on at the intersection, it would help a lot.

Ex ward 12 committee member Victor Kobe said while the municipality launched their service delivery app, low income households remain reliant on local WhatsApp groups to report issues to their local ward committee and councilor.

“Tracking progress reports rely heavily on local leaders, who already have their handful with governance and political responsibilities. My area, Seshego Zone 4 near the Seshego Dam (Beachfront Park) has not had working streetlights since December 2024. Seshego Dam is a tourist and recreational space, areas around it must be prioritised to create a safe environment for youth and businesses,” he told the Review-Observer.

Meanwhile, a poll on our official WhatsApp groups showed very little faith in the municipality’s ability to rectify the situation.

“You’re not doing enough” is the resounding response with over 154 responses, while others stated that the municipality have made too many promises and no changes have been made.