KwaDukuza street lights tender re-awarded

After dimming down for a few months, work on street light repairs in KwaDukuza looks set to continue.
The municipality has re-evaluated the tender, some four months after original contractors Light-Be went into liquidation (‘Light-Be liquidated’, Courier, September 20, 2013).
At the time CEO James Jooste confirmed that all staff had been retrenched and clients were being notified.
As KwaDukuza municipality had not yet been officially notified of the liquidation, they were unable to state what their next move would be.
Municipal media liaison Bonginkosi Nhaca confirmed this week that the ‘low voltage street light tender’ was evaluated on January 21.
“The matter is with the tender adjudication committee for the finalisation of the bid processes.”
Before it liquidated Light-Be had changed more than 600 light fittings, over a kilometre of over-head line conductor, repaired over 30 cables and laid at least 600 metres of underground cable for street lights, in two months.
The company estimated a further six to eight months of work still needed to be done to upgrade the old infrastructure, erect new light poles and repair broken fittings.
KwaDukuza mayor Ricardo Mthembu has also reminded councillors of the importance of providing reliable electricity to residents.
During a full council meeting on Thursday, January 30 Mthembu referred to an incident where one of the municipality’s sub-stations near Gledhow was allegedly broken into, resulting in some areas being left without electricity.
He urged council to carefully consider the renewal of their current security providers’ contract.
“Our residents are up in arms and we cannot have a situation where we allow this. Think of those residents with tuck shops, how must they survive? There is a problem, definitely. We are trusted to run R1,2bn of our people’s money and we are just accepting theft? This must be dealt with as a matter of urgency.”