Polokwane Municipality says fixing faulty streetlights is a priority
Dark streets present significant challenges, as increased crime rates, including house break-ins, have been noted.
POLOKWANE – As early as 2015, Polokwane Observer reported on ongoing issues with faulty streetlights, which have raised concerns among residents.
Complaints included streetlights that remain on during the day while failing to operate at night, or are completely nonfunctional. This has contributed to an increase in crime, particularly in darkened areas. Despite residents’ reports, the municipality had been slow to address these issues.
At the time, municipal spokesperson Matshidiso Mothapo stated that the municipality was investigating the problem, acknowledging that some streetlights needed resetting in affected areas.
Since 2015, media reports at least twice a year highlighted the persistent issue of faulty streetlights, with crime rates linked directly to these failures.
Read more: Locals: malfunctioning streetlights aid criminals
In 2021, Polokwane Review reported on the escalation of crime due to inadequate lighting.
Municipal spokesperson Thipa Selala noted a rise in complaints, attributing the problem to vandalism affecting service infrastructure. He assured residents that the municipality was implementing measures to address streetlight issues as part of a budget adjustment.
In 2023, a Polokwane Review journalist conducted a survey of the streets, photographing lights that were either on during the day or failing to operate at night.
Read more: Thieves pounce on street lights during load-shedding: Muni
Residents expressed frustration, stating they had ceased reporting the problems because of the lack of action.
In response, Mothapo stressed the importance of providing specific street names when reporting outages to assist the municipality’s electrical department in addressing the issues effectively.
Read more: Budget allocated for street lights to be replaced with solar lights
Recently, complaints about faulty streetlights have resurfaced, with reports of some lights remaining on or off for extended periods. Dark streets present significant challenges, as increased crime rates, including house break-ins, have been noted.
Read more: Faulty streetlights result in break-ins; lack of business
To resolve the streetlight malfunctions, it has been identified that the day-night switches need replacement.
Thipa Selala confirmed that addressing the issue of faulty streetlights is a priority for the municipality.
“Day/night switches are installed on our streetlights, and we are actively investigating areas where these switches may have malfunctioned and require replacement. Our maintenance programme outlines a schedule indicating which areas will receive attention each month, ensuring that we address these issues systematically. Additionally, we acknowledge the impact of faulty streetlights and are working diligently to replace damaged ones, with technicians available for repairs,” he remarked.
