The City of Cape Town’s Energy Directorate is continuing with its programme of ongoing maintenance, upgrades and repairs of critical electricity infrastructure in Bishop Lavis and in the vandalism prone surrounding areas.
‘The City’s streetlight and high mast repair and maintenance interventions form part of our broader strategy to improve service delivery and to protect our essential infrastructure in high risk areas. Over the past several months, our teams have intensified efforts to protect and repair infrastructure across the metro, including in Khayelitsha, Dunoon, Mitchells Plain, Kraaifontein, Kuils River and surrounding areas,’ said the Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Alderman Xanthea Limberg.
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 maintains a mixed network of streetlights and high masts in Bishop Lavis and, to urgently improve our burn rate in this area, the City is boosting efforts on the ground as far as possible.
‘The City 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, often requiring 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.
‘We are fighting back against the scourge of theft, vandalism and illegal connections which continually plunge our residents in darkness. Anti-vandalism tech solutions are being piloted and will be considered for rollout in this area. Our Energy Safety teams and Law Enforcement officials maintain visibility in the area. We ask members of the public to report any suspicious behaviour to us so that we can Protect Your Power together. Swift reporting will enable the City to act with speed to prevent extensive damage,’ said Alderman Limberg.
City Interventions
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The City launched Protect Your Power, a first-of-its-kind campaign highlighting the impact of vandalism, theft, and illegal connections that leave communities in the dark.
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Energy Safety Team and City Law Enforcement continue to be visible in all hotspot areas.
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The City is expanding anti-theft and vandalism tech solutions.
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It is installing low-street-value equipment in place of copper to discourage theft and vandalism
Let’s ACT: Protect Your Power against theft, illegal connections and vandalism
- Report suspicious behaviour to the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre: 021 480 7700
- Report illegal scrap yards to the ‘Copperheads’: 0800 222 771 (toll free, 24/7, anonymous tip-offs)
SAPS remains the lead authority in crime prevention.
Report to the City
Streetlight and electricity faults:
- Call Centre: 0860 103 089
- SMS: 31220
- WhatsApp: 060 018 1505
