Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Estie Senekal and Sesotho soundbite by David Masoeu MPL. See attached picture here.
The DA will write to the Municipal Manager about the ongoing failure to maintain functioning streetlights in Bethlehem and call on the municipality to implement an urgent repair plan with clear deadlines. Broken streetlights have become a serious safety concern, while the municipality continues to fail to respond adequately to repeated complaints, leaving residents vulnerable and communities in the dark.
The ongoing failure to maintain functioning streetlights in Bethlehem has become a serious safety concern, while the Dihlabeng Local Municipality continues to fail to respond adequately to repeated complaints.
Over an extended period, the late Councillor Hilton Maasdorp and I have reported numerous faulty streetlights to the responsible municipal manager. Despite repeated follow-ups, photographic evidence, and a formal escalation to the relevant Director and Manager, we have received no response to date.
Complaints have come from several residential areas in Bethlehem, including Jordania, Panorama, and La Provence. Residents have also reported streetlighting problems in the smaller town of Dihlabeng. Residents say some streetlights have not worked for years. Elderly residents and women living alone have expressed particular concern about their safety.
On 29 September 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged the safety risks posed by broken streetlights during his national address on violence against women. He instructed municipalities to conduct safety audits within 60 days, including identifying faulty streetlights.
Within 90 days of completing these audits, municipalities must either address urgent safety hazards or include them in a funded implementation plan with clear deadlines.
But why should our residents have to wait several more months for an audit to identify problems that are already well documented? Residents have submitted complaints, provided addresses, and supplied photographs.
The DA 2026 Local Government Election Manifesto explicitly identifies safety as one of its seven core priorities. One of these priorities is to halve the rate of violent crime, including murder, attempted murder and gender-based violence. Proper maintenance of public infrastructure, including streetlighting, is essential to creating safer communities.
Copper theft and vandalism are further aggravating the problem. People are removing inspection covers from streetlight poles to access copper wiring. Several months ago, the DA proposed improving the security of these covers, including welding them at strategic points to prevent unauthorised access. Yet no consistent, sustainable solution has been implemented to curb this theft.
The DA now demands that the Dihlabeng publish a written action plan within seven days, clearly identifying which streets will receive priority attention, who will be responsible for the repairs, the expected completion dates, and the measures to be implemented to protect streetlight infrastructure against further theft. The DA must also make regular progress reports available to residents.
Urgent repairs must begin immediately.
Bethlehem residents cannot continue to be left in the dark. Streetlighting is not a luxury; it is essential to a safe community.