Residents of Buuren Street are left in the dark, with only one streetlight reportedly working along the road despite repair work undertaken by City Power earlier this month.

Resident Ephraim Makwatse said the streetlights had been out of operation for as long as he could remember, with repeated incidents of vandalism making it difficult to keep the infrastructure working.

“They usually cut the switches and the plates are stolen, and whenever we call City Power they usually join the switches, but the lights are never on,” he said.

Makwatse added that the situation posed a hazard to motorists, especially considering that the road is littered with potholes.

Following enquiries from the Roodepoort Record, City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena initially confirmed that repair work had been carried out on October 6.

However, when the Record followed up on October 28, Makwatse said only one streetlight was operational.

“There was some work done on the streetlights; However, it was only to reconnect the cables inside the poles,” he said.

Mangena confirmed that the lights are off due to ongoing vandalism.

“The electrical wires had been cut and separated from the cable, resulting in the streetlights being switched off. Under normal circumstances, standard streetlight faults are generally attended to within two to three days, depending on the nature of the fault and resource availability,” said Mangena.

He said the delay in attending to the streetlights is because they are currently dealing with a high volume of streetlight-related calls in the Roodepoort region, with more than 1 000 logged calls currently on the system, and they are short-staffed.

Backlog hampers repairs

“These calls are being attended to by five electricians, divided into two teams.

“Each team is allocated up to 20 calls per day, depending on the nature and complexity of the faults. This workload, together with the need to prioritise more complex repairs, contributes to the existing backlog and can affect turnaround times.”

He added that the availability of specialised materials, including GP wires and fittings, has also contributed to delays in some instances.

“The theft of streetlight infrastructure remains a significant challenge. GP wires, as well as fittings used to connect the bulbs, are being stolen, resulting in repeated damage to infrastructure that has already been repaired. City Power continues to face broader operational challenges across the Roodepoort region, including ageing infrastructure, cable theft and damage caused by vandalism.”

In a further explanation of the situation on Buuren Street, City Power said its teams had attended to the faults reported in early October and reconnected supply cables on four streetlight poles.

However, the repairs could not be completed because technicians were unable to access the streetlight control box, commonly known as the pillar box.

The circuit breaker inside the box needs to be reset to restore the affected streetlight circuit. City Power said the enclosure was locked and could not be accessed during the initial repair visit.

The entity plans to use specialised tools to grind open the enclosure and gain access to the equipment before completing the outstanding work.

City Power also pointed out that Buuren Street stretches for a considerable distance and has about 10 streetlight poles, making maintenance challenging for the limited number of available personnel.

The repeated theft of GP wires, cables and light fittings has further complicated efforts to keep the infrastructure operational, with repaired streetlights often becoming faulty again following subsequent incidents of vandalism.

Vandals target alternative solutions

In an effort to address the problem, City Power has also explored alternative lighting solutions, including installing solar-powered streetlights in Matholesville, Fleurhof and Florida earlier this year.

However, these installations have also been targeted by vandals, with fittings stolen.

City Power said protecting public infrastructure required a collective effort and urged residents to report suspicious activities, vandalism and theft. Residents can report incidents to City Power Risk Control on 011 490 7900, 011 490 7911 or 011 490 7553.

Reports can also be made via WhatsApp on 083 579 4497 or by calling 0800 002 587 or 0800 116 166.

City Power apologised fot the inconvenience caused to Buuren Street residents and committed to completing the outstanding repairs by Friday, November 6.

By Monday, November 9, Makwatse confirmed to the Record that the streetlights are still not repaired.

Follow-up questions was sent to City Power regarding the delay on Monday, November 9. A follow-up article will be published as soon as their comment is received.