Cape Town: The Energy Directorate of the City of Cape Town is continuing with its programme of ongoing maintenance. Also including the upgrades and repairs of critical electricity infrastructure in Bishop Lavis and in the vandalism prone surrounding areas.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Energy – Alderman Xanthea Limberg stated that the streetlight of the City and high mast repair and maintenance interventions form part of the broader strategy. It will improve service delivery and to protect the essential infrastructure in high-risk areas.
Over the past several months, the teams have intensified efforts to protect and repair infrastructure across the metro. It will include Khayelitsha, Dunoon, Mitchells Plain, Kraaifontein, Kuils River and surrounding areas.
Limberg joined electricity teams in Bishop Lavis to assess the work being carried out and to investigate the public lighting needs and challenges in the area. The City of Cape Town maintains a mixed network of streetlights and high masts in Bishop Lavis. It will urgently improve the burn rate in this area, as the city is boosting efforts on the ground as far as possible.
According to Alderman Limberg, the City has spent over R2.2 million in Bishop Lavis in the previous financial year on high mast light maintenance. This complex infrastructure includes 40-metre mast poles and heavy ring assemblies with at least six LED fittings. This often requires specialised equipment such as cranes for repairs and maintenance.
As the area is supplied by Eskom, coordination on certain service connections is required, which can influence response times. A total of 318 conventional streetlight service requests were logged by residents in the area, 297 have been completed, reflecting a 93.4% completion rate. Work on the remaining lights is ongoing, although repairs are affected by recurring vandalism.
Limberg confirmed that they are fighting back against the scourge of theft, vandalism and illegal connections which continuously plunge the residents in darkness. Anti-vandalism tech solutions are being piloted and will be considered for roll-out in this area.
The Energy Safety teams and Law Enforcement officials maintain visibility in the area. They asked members of the public to report any suspicious behaviour to them so that they can Protect Your Power together. Swift reporting will enable the City of Cape Town to act with speed to prevent extensive damage.
City of Cape Town launched Protect Your Power, which is a first-of-its-kind campaign that highlights the impact of vandalism, theft, and illegal connections that leave communities in the dark. Energy Safety Team and City Law Enforcement continue to be visible in all hotspot areas. The City is expanding anti-theft and vandalism tech solutions. It is installing low-street-value equipment in place of copper to discourage theft and vandalism.