A RESIDENT in Hillary is still waiting for the municipality to fix a streetlight pole that has been lying on Valerie Road for more than two years now.
Johan Nel said he has lost count of the messages and emails he has sent to the City.
“Instead of solving the initial issue, a contractor came out and cut off the power of another light pole in Waverley Road, and now, we have two poles that are not working.”
The concerned resident said the non-working of these poles is causing many problems for them as residents and motorists.
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“Firstly, these two poles are at a dangerous intersection. There have been many near accidents when it is dark.”
He said the second problem is the issue of crime. “The criminals have a field day when it gets dark – they roam around the street, and it’s easier for them to get access into people’s home without anyone noticing them.”
Nel, who has been residing in the area for nearly 50 years, said the pole in Valerie Road fell due to strong winds in 2022, and he reported it immediately.
“Within a week, people had already stolen the light fittings. The pole is lying on the ground, cut into pieces, and the electricity cable is still tied to the bottom of pole, and when it rains, sparks fly from the cable.
“What worries me most is that children en route to a nearby school end up playing on this pole. Must someone get injured or die before the municipality do something? A resident has since covered the cable with a brick to try and prevent children from getting injured.”
According to Nel, four contractors have come out in the space of two years, but the pole is still lying on the ground.
“The first contractor put up a red tape and said someone was going to come out and fix the issue. After a year, another contractor came, and instead of fixing the pole, she cut out the power on the pole in the corner of Waverly Road,” said Nel.
He added that he has tried everything when he pleads with the City to fix the poles.
The eThekwini Municipality did not respond at the time of publishing.
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