High mast lights operational again in Dunoon
Nine high mast lights restored in Dunoon as City of Cape Town and Eskom teams tackle repairs, with access challenges still affecting full restoration.
Image: Supplied
Nine high mast lights in Dunoon are back on following a joint intervention by the City of Cape Town and Eskom, with ongoing challenges around access to infrastructure still affecting full restoration.
The City’s Energy Directorate and Eskom Distribution teams were on site to carry out repairs, respond to customer queries and address electricity service requests, as part of efforts to restore public lighting in the area.
Dunoon, which falls within an Eskom supply area, has faced persistent challenges with illegal electricity connections and structures built within electricity servitudes, limiting access to critical infrastructure and delaying repairs.
Mayoral Committee Member for Energy Xanthea Limberg said progress was being made.
“City Energy and Eskom’s joint efforts in Dunoon are making significant progress. We are attending to faulty public lighting infrastructure, including several high mast lights, some of which could not be fixed for extended periods due to the prevalence of servitude encroachments that limit our ability to access sites to carry out repair and maintenance work,” she said.
Nine of the 14 high mast lights are now operational, with initial work focusing on infrastructure that is not severely encroached and where repairs do not require dependencies.
More complex sites require further technical planning, including crane access and engineering solutions to address encroached infrastructure.
The City has allocated R4.9 million for maintenance in the district, which includes Dunoon, for the current financial year, with work forming part of a broader metro-wide programme to repair high mast lighting in areas such as Bishop Lavis and Khayelitsha.
“The work currently under way includes heavy machinery and advanced technical teams from both the City and Eskom working in coordination to repair high mast lights in the area and attend to public service requests,” Limberg said.
She added that City Energy, Informal Settlement Management teams and contractors have conducted technical assessments, mapped out crane access plans and explored engineering solutions to address encroached infrastructure.
The intervention also forms part of the City’s “Protect Your Power” campaign, which calls on residents to report vandalism, theft and illegal connections that damage infrastructure and leave communities in the dark.
Authorities have urged the public to report suspicious activity to law enforcement, with the South African Police Service remaining the lead authority in crime prevention.
While progress has been made, officials said continued cooperation between authorities and the community will be important to protect infrastructure and support ongoing service delivery in the area.