A sense of unease grips the residents of Kingsley Street as their streetlights have remained non-functional for over six years.

Retired resident Arabang Ndaba spoke to the Roodepoort Record, saying she started reporting these lights to City Power (CP) long before Covid-19.

She says the prolonged darkness has created an environment conducive to crime, with residents falling prey to muggings, particularly in the open veld just opposite her house.

“When we report, we get a response of problem fixed, but we’ve never seen any operators on-site fixing the lights.

“My daughter got mugged a few weeks ago and they took her laptop and other work belongings,” she says, adding that the last time CP attended to this problem, low-hanging cables were left unattended for months, and they were eventually stolen.

After the issue was reported to the Roodepoort Record, operators were spotted fixing the lights, but only two lights were left working.

“They said they were going to report back for the other lights, but they didn’t. We were also told that there’s no cable supplying the lights,” she says.

CP spokesperson Isaac Mangena refutes claims that the streetlights at Kingsley Street have been off or non-functional for a continuous period of six years.

“Our records, dating back to August 1, 2019, show that we have received numerous logged queries for the streetlights in that area, and we have attended to these calls, carried out repairs, and restored supply on multiple occasions.

“However, we acknowledge that the streetlights have gone off frequently, primarily due to the high incidence of theft and vandalism in the area.

“Despite operating and maintaining a fleet of over 300 000 streetlights citywide, we have consistently responded to streetlight faults in Kingsley Street whenever they were reported, in line with our commitment to providing safe, well-lit streets for residents,” he says.

Mangena adds that currently, there is one active logged call for Kingsley Street.

“Our dispatched team found that two spans of overhead cable had been stolen. The repair process has been delayed by an additional challenge: the mini substation that supplies the streetlights is welded shut and has no visible contact details, which is hampering access for repairs.

“We are working with the community and councillors to assist us in getting access to the mini substation to fast-track repairs.”

Mangena also says CP has no record of cables being left unattended in Kingsley Street.

“Our standard procedure is that once contractors install cables, they remain on-site until our operators complete all final tests. If the installation passes, supply is immediately restored and the site is secured. The work area is then reinstated, which includes covering trenches and securing all equipment.”

He calls on customers to report any form of poor workmanship to us by contacting the Security Management team on 0800 116 166.

“In the case of Kingsley Street, repairs will proceed once access to the welded substation is resolved. To ensure sustained functionality going forward, we conduct spot and repair exercises and carry out scheduled area maintenance frequently. We also work closely with ward councillors, residents’ associations, private security companies, and local businesses to deter criminal activity targeting our infrastructure,” he concludes.