Electricity boxes across an important South African city set alight and streetlights vandalised and sold for scrap metal

Chris Whittaker, a councillor in the Sol Plaatje Municipality, has called for an urgent intervention to stem the streetlight and electricity vandalism in Kimberley.

He called on the municipal manager, Thapelo Matlala, and the South African Police Service (SAPS) to implement a multi-pronged strategy.

This strategy should ensure that municipal infrastructure is protected, as streetlight vandalism and theft escalate across Kimberley.

Kimberley is the capital of the Northern Cape province and is known as the birthplace of the global diamond industry.

Government services, regional healthcare, and the Northern Cape Division of the High Court form the city’s economic backbone.

It is also a major site for heritage tourism, with landmarks like the Big Hole complex, the McGregor Museum, and nearby archaeological sites.

Despite its regional importance, the city has faced significant challenges. The latest is vandalism of streetlights and electricity infrastructure.

The most common form of electricity vandalism is the removal of breakers from streetlight poles.

Repairs are costly and can take considerable time, while contractors struggle to keep pace with the damage, and residents are left in the dark.

The attack on streetlights follows a recent spate of incidents in which electricity boxes across the city were deliberately set alight.

Whittaker said they have laid a criminal charge at Kimberley Police Station for damage to municipal streetlights.

“We have also previously called on SAPS to urgently tackle Kimberley’s flourishing illegal metal trade, which is contributing to the theft and vandalism,” he said.

He said that, apart from catching and convicting criminals, the municipality must also take practical steps to make its infrastructure harder to target.

He recommended that the city return to concrete streetlight poles and positioning breaker access points higher up on the poles.

“These measures would make breakers more difficult to access and tamper with,” Whittaker said.

He added that concrete poles would also be less vulnerable to rust and harder to cut down for cable harvesting.

“Over time, this could reduce repair and replacement costs, improve the reliability of street lighting, and enhance safety for residents,” he said.

“The municipal council should also pass our motion to ringfence electricity-generated revenue for infrastructure maintenance and upgrades.”