We’ve reported not having streetlights for four months in Chilwan Crescent, Helderberg Industrial Park, multiple times. How much longer must one keep fighting with the City of Cape Town?
Anonymous,
Xanthea Limberg, Mayoral Commitee member for Energy, responds: The service request reference number provided was logged on 12 January 2026 and the streetlights were repaired by 14 January.
Chilwan is an industrial area which, unfortunately, experiences significant vandalism, with recurring streetlight outages.
City electricity teams actively work in various areas across the metro as part of a year-round public-lighting programme. They maintain a network of more than 245 000 streetlights through significant investment, including a R75,5 million streetlight capital budget for 2025-’26.
Their hard work has driven a recovery rate in our streetlight burn, now 86,48%, poised to exceed the City’s 90% target.
Nevertheless, vandalism and theft of critical infrastructure remain a challenge. The City has spent about R62 million on infrastructure maintenance and replacement this past financial year.
But as soon as infrastructure is replaced it is vandalised again. The City has deployed security, replaced copper with lower street-value alternatives and is piloting infrastructure-protection tech solutions.
It has launched a unique Protect Your Power campaign, highlighting vandalism’s massive impact, theft and illegal connections leaving communities, neighbourhoods and roadways in the dark. The City calls on residents to help “Protect Your Power” and build safer, brighter communities by reporting suspicious activity anonymously to the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC).
Report suspicious behaviour to the City’s PECC om 021 480 7700. Alternatively, contact your local police station.
