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The Citizen
7 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Call for accountability over ongoing streetlight service failures in Ward 46
The metro is exploring ways to boost the efficiency of teams for streetlight maintenance after Ward 46 residents handed over a petition demanding repairs. According to the petition, only 20% of the ward's streetlights are working, leaving much of the area in darkness at night and raising serious safety concerns. The petition, signed by residents across the ward, calls for urgent intervention and criticises what it describes as 'a lack of basic service delivery', despite residents paying their monthly municipal bills. It also claims that the community has been told that there will be a R35.5-million budget cut for streetlight materials. However, the metro has denied these allegations. In their petition, residents make three key demands: – The creation of an action plan with deadlines for the repair of streetlights in the ward. – The appointment of a dedicated official to be accountable for the repairs. – Regular progress updates via the ward councillor to inform residents. Metro spokesperson Selby Bokaba confirmed that Ward 46 has 1 950 streetlights but added that the number of broken lights changes regularly, and because of this, exact numbers aren't available daily. However, he said the metro is working on a strategy to improve lighting maintenance efforts across the city. 'The Energy and Electricity Business Unit is in the process of exploring ways or options to capacitate internal teams to focus on the maintenance of public lighting infrastructure across the city, including Ward 46,' Bokaba said. He stated that while this long-term plan is being finalised, maintenance work continues to take place daily, and the city is prioritising main roads and newly logged complaints. Bokaba said senior supervisors already form part of maintenance teams, and are responsible for monthly and weekly maintenance planning, and making sure that work is completed in line with national standards and NERSA regulations. 'The metro has created WhatsApp communication portals for ward councillors and residents to receive updates on daily activities, and public lighting schedules will also be made available via these channels.' Addressing concerns over resources, Bokaba said the metro is currently making the best use of available materials, contractors, and technicians to deal with both existing and newly reported faults. 'The city is reconfiguring electricity operations to ensure that maintenance resources – technicians, materials, and specialised equipment – are aligned with the scale of work needed,' he said. This process is expected to improve turnaround times and reduce the likelihood of future backlogs. While the petition raises alarm over the alleged budget cut, Bokaba dismissed the claims. 'The Energy and Electricity Business Unit is not aware of any such budget reduction for materials for the maintenance of public lighting infrastructure.' The petition also highlights growing fears over crime and road safety in unlit areas. In response, Bokaba said the TMPD has increased visibility in areas of concern, and teams are working on strategies to improve service delivery. Although the metro has not formally responded to the petition, Bokaba confirmed that two enquiries have been received on the issue of streetlight repairs in Ward 46, one of which has already been addressed. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
The Citizen
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Metro reform aims to end service delays and disruptions
Residents can expect better and more reliable service delivery starting this month, according to the metro. This comes after the metro successfully met National Treasury's July 1 deadline to transition its electricity, water, and sanitation services into ring-fenced business units. Two dedicated business units have now been established: – Energy and Electricity Business Unit, which will focus on ensuring a stable power supply and infrastructure upgrades, and – Water and Sanitation Business Unit, which will work on improving water quality, reducing leaks, and enhancing wastewater management. Metro spokesperson Selby Bokaba stated that this brings the Tshwane metro into compliance with the Municipal Finance Management Act and the Municipal Budget and Reporting Regulations. 'This marks a significant step toward financial sustainability, improved governance, and enhanced service delivery for residents and businesses,' he stated. He explained that the reform eliminates the metro's previous dual service model, which operated at both central and regional levels, and replaces it with a single, centralised operational structure. Bokaba noted that the new structure ensures that money collected from these services is reinvested directly into infrastructure and maintenance to enhance the reliability and lifespan of critical service assets. 'If Tshwane did not implement these reforms, we risked forfeiting the much-needed National Treasury grant funding to provide services to our communities. For us, it's not just a matter of compliance with National Treasury's requirements but also about continuing to benefit from the National Treasury's incentive scheme,' he said. He emphasised that the successful implementation of the reform now safeguards the metro's access to this funding, which is vital for sustaining and expanding service delivery across the metro. As a result, the Tshwane metro can now focus on using these funds for long-term infrastructure investment, improved service delivery, and reduced service disruptions. Bokaba added that the transformation was not rushed but involved consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, including employees, labour unions, and industry players. 'There were no job losses or service disruptions, and all employees were seamlessly transferred. The metro also incorporated public feedback on tariffs and service standards,' he continued. 'From July 1, residents can expect more reliable electricity and water supply, faster response times for service requests, clearer and more cost-reflective billing, and long-term infrastructure investment,' he concluded. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
