Blue ribbon initiative shines light on Tshwane service delivery failures

A Tshwane DA councillor and residents are taking matters into their own hands by marking non-working streetlights with blue ribbons with the intent of getting them fixed.

Ward 4 and 98 councillor Dana Wannenburg thanked Mickey van der Westhuizen and his team for marking non-functioning streetlights across ward 4 and ward 98 as part of their blue ribbon initiative.

“So far, nearly 800 streetlights have been tagged, but we estimate that over 2 400 may be out in our communities,” he said.

Urgent need for action

Wannenburg said the initiative aims to highlight the urgent need for repairs and hold the city accountable for service delivery.

“Each ribbon represents a streetlight left in the dark affecting safety, visibility and security in our neighbourhoods.

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“We are taking this data to the media, the mayor and the responsible MMC to demand action. Streetlight outages are not just an inconvenience; they contribute to crime and put our residents at risk,” he said.

Wannenburg urged residents not to remove the blue ribbons because they mark a light that needs fixing.

He also urged residents to mark non-working streetlights with blue ribbons and post it on Facebook.

Safety concerns

“We are aware that many streetlights have been out for between three to eight months due to ongoing service delivery constraints, a shortage of staff and a lack of essential equipment. The impact of non-functional streetlights is severe, increasing the risk of crime, vehicle accidents and pedestrian safety concerns.

“Dark streets make it easier for criminals to operate undetected and harder for drivers to see pedestrians, animals or road hazards in time to react,” he said.

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Marking potholes

Wannenburg said they were also working on marking dangerous potholes, particularly on the main routes.

“These potholes pose a serious risk to motorists, with approximately three to eight cars suffering wheel damage daily due to large, unseen potholes.

“By marking these potholes, we are making them more visible to drivers, reducing the risk of sudden damage and accidents, and ensuring our teams can prioritise the most critical repairs,” he added.

The city said 45 lights were repaired on Joubert Street in Bronkhorstspruit during its #ReASpana campaign.

It is believed that there are insufficient funds to fix all the non-working lights in the city and council is working on a plan to switching to solar lights.

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