Contrary to what is being claimed in public, the suburb of Khayelitsha is not in utter darkness and the City has been working hard over the past years to provide appropriate public lighting in this suburb. Work is ongoing and lighting continues to be rolled out. Read more below:
As at February 2019, the total number of installed conventional lights in Khayelitsha is 2 251 while the total number of installed high masts lights is 218. This is in accordance with the Khayelitsha Lighting Master Plan which was agreed to with the relevant subcouncil managers of Khayelitsha in November 2017.
The plan includes the installation of 33 additional high-mast lights in Khayelitsha. Conventional lighting is planned for the majority of primary arterial, residential collector roads (low-to-moderate capacity roads), secondary arterial and commercial roads which were identified for conventional streetlight installation.
The planned new street- and high-mast lighting installations for Khayelitsha as from the financial years between 2018/19 and 2022/23 are as follows (subject to finalisation, due process and engagements):
| Financial Year | Type of Lighting | Number of Lights/Masts | Budget
(R) |
Comments |
| 2018/19 | Conventional lights | 134 | 5 037 010 | |
| 2018/19 | High masts | 10 | 5 086 440 | |
| 2019/20 | Conventional lights | 130 | 6 005 000 | |
| 2019/20 | High masts | 8 | 4 069 200 | |
| 2020/21 | Conventional lights | 8 streets | TBC | Design and budget to be finalised closer to the time. |
| 2020/21 | High masts | 8 | TBC | Design and budget to be finalised closer to the time. |
| 2021/22 | Conventional lights | 8 streets | TBC | Design and budget to be finalised closer to the time. |
| 2021/22 | High masts | 7 | TBC | Design and budget to be finalised closer to the time. |
| 2022/23 | Conventional lights | 8 streets | TBC | Design and budget to be finalised closer to the time. |
| 2022/23 | High masts | TBC | TBC | Further investigation shall be carried out. |
In addition, the total number of conventional streetlights in Khayelitsha that are planned for refurbishment during the 2019/20 financial year is 277 lights. The budget allocated for this purpose amounts to R1,8 million. Further lighting investigations and installations shall continue when the planned lighting installations have been completed.
It is very clear, based on actual evidence, that much work continues and that much work has been done. Contrary to false reports that the plan will only be implemented in five years’ time, it continues to be implemented and is already delivering tangible results.
Stakeholders were recently engaged to discuss the continuing electrification plans, including the Social Justice Coalition. They were invited to attend a meeting at Isivivana Centre in Khayelitsha. Stakeholders from Philippi and Nyanga were also invited to attend.
As it pertains to electricity provision in general, according to the latest Annual Report (2017/18) 97,3% of our households have access to electricity, 98,4% have access to refuse removal and 94,3% have access to sanitation.
We remain utterly committed to improving the living conditions of all of our residents and the evidence in support of this is very clear.