The eThekwini Electricity Unit is in dire need of R335 million over the next three financial years to complete outstanding electricity projects, one of them being street lighting.
The eThekwini Trading Services Committee tabled a report at a Full Council meeting stating that the inadequacy of resources within the street lighting branch is evident from the current staffing and resource limitations.
“Despite the critical role of street lighting maintenance in ensuring public safety and urban functionality, the branch is grappling with a shortage of operational vehicles and staff,” the report read.
The electricity department is requesting the Chief Financial Officer to identify unspent funding municipal-wide so that the electricity unit can honour contractual obligations once contracts in this regard have been put in place.
The report stated that a need also exists to identify separate unspent funds for street lighting maintenance; replacement; and/ or new installation where required. This will accommodate both operating and capital projects and thus additional funding in both categories is needed.
The increase in outstanding street lighting work orders from 2015 to 2024 highlights the severe impact of lacking a maintenance contract and insufficient funding.
The report stated that this necessitated the number of contracted services to be increased from 30 to 63 teams. The report stated that the budget is not aligned to these resources, which come with bucket and crane trucks.
These resources cost approximately R7 million per month and currently, there is no budget allocation. The operating budget for street lighting and the high mast over the next three financial years is R335 million. The capital budget for high-mast installation and festive lighting is R52 million, revealed the report.
Speaking at the council meeting, eThekwini Democratic Alliance councillor Yogis Govender said the street lights debacle has been plaguing the municipality for almost a decade.
“It is unfathomable how eThekwini Municipality is unable to eradicate this irritation for hundreds of ratepayers. Reference number upon reference number gets generated but we all know where they go to die. These references are simply purged from the system whilst the resident is oblivious and waits in vain,” Govender said.
Govender added that the city had no sense of urgency in dealing decisively with defective street lights with officials telling councillors to be patient.
“The city on record takes cognisance of the dangers to residents who depend on oxygen, nebulisers, fridges that store lifesaving medication,” Govender said.
A request for street lighting in the oThongathi area was declined because the area is a hot spot for crime and cable theft. Govender said residents have been requested to get together with law enforcement and resolve the issue.
Govender proposed that the municipality have a workshop or stakeholder meeting to find a solution with the legislated custodians dealing with crime. She said the city was passing on the responsibility to those ill-equipped to deal with this citywide scourge of crime and vandalism.
“What is worrisome is the fact that in all of our budget allocations we are spending money on nice to haves, frill, gifts, entertainment and we appeal that this be revisited,” she said.
