It took a year but Tafelsig’s streetlights are back on

On Wednesday, the City of Cape Town took service-related queries from nearly 1,000 residents in Tafelsig at a “Basket of Services” event. The event is held monthly in different areas in Cape Town. Photo: Marecia Damons

Earlier this month, GroundUp reported that streetlights in Tafelsig in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, were out of order due to damaged and stolen cables, leaving the suburb in darkness at night and in the early morning. Many streetlights had been out of order for more than a year.

Members of the Mitchells Plain United Residents Association and Tafelsig Neighbourhood Watch said this had led to a spike in crime.

After the story was published, residents say the City started repairing faulty streetlights. Also, the Neighbourhood Watch said police visibility in the area had improved.

“It’s so much better because you can see who is walking in the area at night,” said Tafelsig Neighbourhood Watch council member Christine Claassen.

“In the mornings when we take people to the bus stop to go to work, we carry big torches but that’s not enough. So the streetlights that are finally being fixed are a contribution to our safety as well. But it’s not entirely safe in the area, so people still need to be careful,” said Claassen.

She said they have seen an uptick in the number of police vans patrolling. “Over the weekend, there were about 12 vans in the area driving up and down. So I hope that things will get better as time goes on.”

Although residents are grateful that the streetlights are being fixed and police visibility is improving, Claassen said she is sceptical about whether “they’re only doing this now because it’s election time”.

“But I’m glad that things are finally happening,” she said.

On Wednesday, the City brought a “basket of services” event to the Thusong Centre in Tafelsig. Officials from various departments assisted residents with enquiries about bursaries, municipal accounts, primary healthcare services, law enforcement services, and the Extended Public Works Programme.

Mayco Member for Corporate Services Theresa Uys said nearly 1,000 residents came for assistance.

“Residents were very happy that our officials were able to report their service delivery faults such as faulty streetlights, water leaks and account queries to the relevant departments and provide them with reference numbers,” said Uys.

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