Darkness brings fear to residents as Ekurhuleni fails to fix streetlights
by Cllr. Stefanie Ueckermann — DA Councillor in Ward 105 Ekurhuleni
Date: 16 February 2021
Release: Immediate
Type: Media statement
Residents of Ward 105 in Ekurhuleni fear for their safety as non-working streetlights create a greater threat of criminal opportunism.
There is not a single area throughout the Ward that does not have an issue with streetlights, which is highlighted through the list of over 60 streetlight faults reported to the Department of Energy in November 2020 alone. This number increased in December and the list gets longer as time goes on.
According to the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE)’s Service Standards, the turnaround time on streetlight maintenance is seven days. The ANC Coalition-led CoE disregarded their commitment to service delivery in the area and are not adhering to these standards. Furthermore, the lack of streetlight maintenance in Ward 105 provides evidence supporting the CoE’s tweet that the City no longer considers streetlight maintenance an essential service.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ekurhuleni calls on the Metro to urgently adhere to their own guidelines and service delivery mandate, in the interests of ensuring the safety of the residents of Ward 105.
The DA will continue to put pressure on the underperforming Department of Energy, and will not rest until residents receive the services they deserve.
Cllr. Stefanie Ueckermann
DA Councillor in Ward 105 in Ekurhuleni
