The metro has repaired over 4 000 streetlights since July.
This is according to Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink, who was speaking during a recent walkabout in Pretoria Central.
He was joined by the MMC for Human Settlements Ofense Madzebatela on September 4 as they caught up on how the metro’s Urban Management Programme is doing.
“Public lighting is one of the key priorities for this administration and we are fully committed to increasing illumination levels across all communities in Tshwane. We have teams that are out regularly repairing streetlights as part of our Tshwane Lighting Programme,” Brink said.
In Region 3, which encompasses the CBD, Arcadia, the Moot area, Capital Park and Atteridgeville, officials oversaw repairs and maintenance of 553 streetlights and a total of 329 were repaired and are functional. The teams returned the following day to address the remaining 224.
Other activities included tree pruning and garbage collection.
Madzebatela also visited the Sunnyside pool area as part of the programme.
From July 1 to date, 4 000 streetlights in Region 3, predominantly in the inner city, have been fixed.
The metro injected R24.5-million into the Tshwane Public Lighting Programme in the current financial year.
The programme aims to install new streetlights and replace existing old infrastructure with solar solutions to combat vandalism and reduce electricity costs. It plans to reach all communities and increase illumination levels around the metro.
“We view the inner city as a strategic node that is home to all Tshwane residents, businesses, government departments and learning institutions, resulting in different groups of people converging in the Pretoria CBD to work, study and conduct business. Equally, major roads such as Francis Baard Street, Es’kia Mphahlele Drive and Nelson Mandela Drive serve as key routes and illumination levels must be adequate,” Brink said.
The mayor appealed to residents to report acts of vandalism regarding streetlights, saying they are often stripped as soon as they are repaired. Brink asserted that vandals will not deter their work.
He said they will continue using innovative measures to ensure the metro’s lighting is not compromised.
The lighting programme has thus far also been active in Soshanguve, Mabopane, Olievenhoutbosch and Centurion.
“The city is not deterred as we are working on innovative solutions such as using cables with less value to protect our infrastructure. We will not be distracted by those seeking to stop the progress we are making. We are committed to building a city that works for all its people,” Brink concluded.
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