The City’s Energy Directorate has stepped up its intervention, working alongside key stakeholders to fast-track repairs and address long-standing challenges affecting public lighting in Dunoon.
Although Dunoon falls within an Eskom supply area, the City remains responsible for public lighting across the metro. The area has a mixed network of streetlights and 14 high mast lights, which are considered critical for visibility and safety in the densely populated community.
Encroachment blocks access
However, ongoing issues such as illegal electricity connections, vandalism and severe encroachment around infrastructure have made maintenance work extremely difficult.
Mayco member for Energy, Xanthea Limberg, recently visited the area with City Energy teams to assess the situation first-hand.
“Several of our high mast light poles have been encroached on, and in some cases, the Eskom cables powering them have been vandalised,” she said.
Illegal connections a major risk
She added that illegal connections not only pose a serious safety risk but also damage infrastructure and delay restoration efforts.
“Upgrades and maintenance require heavy equipment like cranes and sufficient access, but the level of encroachment has severely limited our teams’ ability to reach these sites,” Limberg explained.
The City has allocated a maintenance budget of R4,9 million for the district, which includes Dunoon, and views high mast lighting as a key strategy to improve safety in high-density areas.
Multi-agency intervention
To overcome delays, the City is now working closely with Eskom, as well as with its Human Settlements and Urban Waste Management departments to clear access points and resolve dependencies more efficiently.
Limberg confirmed she will return to Dunoon with officials this week to engage directly with residents on electricity-related concerns.
Residents urged to act
The accelerated repair programme forms part of broader efforts to protect electricity infrastructure and improve service reliability. Energy safety teams and law-enforcement officers have increased visibility in identified hot spots, while the City is also exploring high-tech solutions to curb vandalism and theft.
Nomvula Jacobs, a Dunoon resident, said: “We’ve been living in the dark for too long. When those high mast lights are off, it’s dangerous at night. We just want the repairs to happen faster.”
Sipho Mkhize, a community member, said: “Illegal connections are a big problem here. People don’t realise they’re making things worse for everyone else when infrastructure gets damaged. It’s good the City is coming back to engage us. We need solutions, but the community must also take responsibility to protect what we have.”
Residents are being urged to play an active role by reporting suspicious activity and damaged infrastructure.
This call forms part of the City’s newly launched Protect Your Power campaign, aimed at tackling theft, vandalism and illegal connections that continue to leave communities in the dark.
Repairs to high mast lighting are also under way in other areas across Cape Town, including Khayelitsha.
Residents can report suspicious behaviour to the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) on 021 480 7700 or anonymously report illegal scrap yards to the ‘Copperheads’ hotline on 0800 222 771.
