Durban North residents left in the dark about street lamp repairs

CONCERNED residents, Johan Botha and Robert Haupt have been waiting for weeks to see a street lamp post on the corner of Lonsdale Drive and Ellis Park Drive fixed. They say the pole came crashing down on Tuesday, 24 September at around 5.15pm.

“There were three loud bangs as the pole fell,” said Haupt. “If someone was standing here, they would have been as dead as a doornail,” added Botha.

Botha said he saw a truck driver ram into the pole, knocking it onto the ground. “I would say it was about a four ton truck,” he said.

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For Haupt the fallen post raises safety concerns as visibility is lessened. “It’s very dark here. They need to fix it,” he said.

Another concern for the residents, is the safety of pedestrians. “There is a live wire exposed. If anyone walks past here, they could be electrocuted,” said Botha.

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The residents said they reported the incident to a local security company and later to the eThekwini Municipality.

“The Fire Department was here. The moment there was an electric pole involved, everyone had to be here. The (municipal) electricians came out at about 6.30pm or 7pm on the same day,” said Haupt.

The pole has since been left on the roadside. The eThekwini Municipality did not send their comment at the time this article went to print.

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