Stellenbosch Municipality is currently in negotiations with Eskom to take over the maintenance of streetlights in Klapmuts from the power utility.
This was according to Kyle Cookson, communication and stakeholder management practitioner at Eskom’s Cape Coastal Cluster.
A spokesperson from Eskom has confirmed that negotiations were currently underway to hand over the management of streetlights in Klapmuts to Stellenbosch Municipality. PHOTO: Caitlin Maledo
Recently, community members have been complaining on social media platforms that numerous streetlights were faulty in different parts of the community.
Power supply to various areas in Klapmuts currently falls under the jurisdiction of different institutions, explained Leonard Chelesi, a member of the Klapmuts Development Forum and the Ward 18 committee under the Stellenbosch Municipality.
Chelesi believed that this could be the reason why some parts of Klapmuts had functioning streetlights and others not.
“The new houses [in Klapmuts] are under the municipality, but the old houses are under Eskom. Mandela City is under Eskom. Mandela City has no streetlights anymore,” Chelesi claimed.
Leonard Chelesi, member of the Klapmuts Development Forum and member of the Ward 18 committee, talks about the community’s ongoing frustrations to have streetlights in some parts of the town repaired.
Community members have shared concerns that the faulty streetlights pose a risk to their safety because of the lack of visibility at night, stated Derrick Marconi, a Klapmuts resident. Marconi claimed that he and other community members have reached out to Stellenbosch Municipality for help.
“We have contacted the [Stellenbosch] Municipality due [to] this issue [as it] increase[s] the risk in theft and robberies,” claimed Marconi.
A map of Klapmuts showing various streets in the area. According to a Facebook post under the community group, Klapmuts Se Dinge, various members in the group noted the specific streets that have faulty or non-functioning streetlights. Meintjies, Jacobs, Merchant, Collins, Bells and Julius Street are among some of the streets mentioned. GRAPHIC: Caitlin Maledo
Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for the Stellenbosch Municipality, explained that the municipality was not able to repair infrastructure that does not belong to it.
“We are negotiating with Eskom to hand over the control of streetlights in the area to [Stellenbosch Municipality],” confirmed Grobbelaar in email correspondence with MatieMedia.
Previous negotiations between Eskom and Stellenbosch Municipality resulted in the municipality taking over maintenance of streetlights in Jamestown, said Cookson in a written reply to MatieMedia.
Cookson claimed that faulty streetlights are often the result of theft and damage.
“Operators doing repair work after the theft and vandalism to Eskom infrastructure, have affected power supply to the streetlights in Klapmuts,” explained Cookson.
Negotiations between Eskom and the Stellenbosch Municipality are still ongoing, with a meeting between the two parties scheduled for 15 July, according to Cookson.