Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Piet Botha and Sesotho soundbite by David Masoeu MPL.
The DA will escalate the failure by Matjhabeng Local Municipality to fix broken streetlights, including the lack of globes and fittings, to the Provincial Legislature and the Provincial Treasury. Residents’ safety is being put at risk because streetlights cannot be repaired, leaving suburbs in darkness.
During a meeting last week, it was ascertained that when streetlights are out of order, residents are asked to buy the globes and/or fittings from a local agent to have the lights fixed. This puts residents at risk, as they cannot walk to the shops or visit other houses, as criminals use the darkness as cover to attack, sexually assault and even kill vulnerable women especially.
With the recent media reports of twelve women being brutally murdered in Ekurhuleni Municipality fresh in our minds, this act by the Municipality of not being able to fix streetlights is criminal and grossly negligent. It seems that the lives of Residents are not cared for and are taken for granted.
The people can make Matjhabeng work again by voting DA on all three ballot papers on 4 November 2026.