Fix Streetlights in Ethafeni

Streetlights in Ethafeni have not been working for years, except for a few Apollo Streetlights. The Apollo Streetlight in Ethafeni, next to the Tembisa South Police Station was damaged in a storm in 2023, fixed once, stopped working after a few days and never repaired again. The neighbourhood is dark. This is a huge safety issue for residents, road users and local businesses.

 

Residents of Ebony Park, a nearby township, say their streetlights have been off since January, and it has caused an increase in crime in the area [1].  Residents on their way to work and school become victims of robberies and burglaries because perpetrators can easily disappear into the dark. This is worse in winter when people need to be on the streets before sunrise and after sunset. A resident from neighbouring Vusimuzi section says she was recently robbed at gunpoint [2]. Local businesses like spaza shops and street vendors are forced to close early for safety. A spaza shop owner in Vusimusizi was robbed multiple times and landed in the ICU after he was shot at his shop [2].

 

The low visibility also endangers road users as it increases the chances of car accidents, and pedestrians getting hit by cars. It is even more dangerous at busy intersections, like the one at Tembisa South police station, where road markings and potholes are not clearly visible at night. According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation, poor lighting contributed to 17.3% of all deadly car crashes that were caused by environmental factors in the first three months of 2023 [3]. 

 

Fixing streetlights will reduce the chances of car and pedestrian accidents by improving visibility [4]. It can potentially reduce crime [5] and make people feel safer [6]. When reporting these issues to the municipality, residents are given reference numbers and are told to wait, or that the municipality does not have the budget for repairs. We have waited long enough. It is the municipality’s duty to keep public infrastructure functioning properly or replace it [7]. If we come together as residents and rate payers, they cannot put us all on a waiting list. Join us and demand the municipality take our safety seriously and fix broken streetlights.

References

1.       PICS | Damaged Joburg lights endanger residents’ lives. Noxolo Sibiya for SowetanLive. 17 May 2024

2.       Tembisa Residents Protest Against High Crime Rate. Everson Luhanga for Scrolla Africa. 22 May 2024

3.       State of Road Safety Report, Quarterly Report: January – March 2023 and 2024. Road Traffic Management Corporation.

4.       Street Lighting and Visibility for Road Users. Arrive Alive.

5.       Effects of Improved Street Lighting on Crime. Campbell Systematic Review. Dr Brandon Welsh and Dr David Farrington. 25 September 2008

6.       Impact of public lighting on pedestrians’ perception of safety and well-being. Safety Science. A Peña-García, A. Hurtado and M.C. Aguilar-Luzon. October 2015. 

7.       The National Infrastructure Maintenance Strategy Public Works Department: Public Works REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA in support of ASGISA and government growth objectives. 2007.