POLOKWANE – Residents of Flora Park say they have been complaining to the municipality for the past six weeks that the streetlights are faulty.
The streets affected by this include Oleander, Robinia, Hauptfleisch and Gardinia Street. Other areas of the city such as Eduan Park and Ladanna experienced the same problem from time to time, residents said.
Some residents told Review they feared that the rate of burglaries would increase as the lack of lighting was ideal for criminals to operate in.
A resident, Johan Kloppers, said a family member was the victim of a robbery just over a week ago when she was attacked by two men in her driveway in Pietersburg Street, Ladanna. “The incident happened when she stopped at the gate to open it. The streetlights were not working, and she did not even see the men standing next to the gate. Her purse and the keys for the vehicle were stolen,” Kloppers said.
According to Joan Fisher and other residents who live in Hauptfleisch Street, Flora Park, the streetlights not working was the main contributing factor to crime in the city.
Polokwane police spokesperson, Capt Ntobeng Phala, agreed that criminals made use of the cover of darkness to commit their crimes.
Municipal spokesperson, Tidimalo Chuene, said the municipality was aware of the complaints regarding the streetlights. She said a meeting was held with the electrical department and a caretaker was appointed to make sure the new schedule for streetlights was being implemented and the streetlights working correctly.
“However, there are a few obstacles such as a lack of manpower and the process takes some time,” she said.
Chuene said the municipality was attending to the complaints received, and it was important for residents to continue communicating with the municipality.
Any complaints can be directed to the municipality at (015) 290 2000.
