GEORGE NEWS - The residents of Touwsranten, an informal settlement near Hoekwil in Wilderness, say they have been left in the dark for years after the streetlights had reportedly stopped working two to three years ago.
They insist this poses great safety challenges for them after sunset.
The George Municipality confirmed that the Touwsranten streetlights are supplied through an Eskom point of supply, while the municipality remains responsible for maintaining the lighting infrastructure.
According to the municipality’s director of electrotechnical services, Michael Rhode, during an inspection, the supply point was found switched off, and they are now engaging with Eskom to determine the cause of the interruption.
“The specific concerns about streetlight outages in Touwsranten are currently being investigated by the relevant officials,” Rhode said.
He added that the severe weather across the George during April and May had caused significant damage to electrical and streetlighting infrastructure, resulting in the prioritisation of restoring electricity supply to households before addressing outstanding streetlight repairs. “The challenges experienced are not limited to Touwsranten. Streetlight outages and infrastructure damage are affecting communities across the George municipal area. Repair work is under way in all affected areas, and the municipality remains committed to restoring services as resources and operational requirements allow,” Rhode said.
The municipality further confirmed that the focus is on determining the cause of the Eskom supply interruption and restoring the streetlights in Touwsranten as soon as possible.
“At this stage, we are unable to confirm the reported duration of the outage,” Rhode said.
A more detailed update is expected once the municipality’s investigation has been completed.
- By Tuesday morning, 30 June, George Municipality had started to repair and replace some of the streetlights in the area.
Residents say they fear being out after dark as there are no streetlights in some areas.
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