Initiative: Streetlighting Campaign

Why is this Important to us as a Community?

• Visible people = fewer opportunities for crime. Lighting expands natural surveillance (“eyes on the street”), discouraging muggings, car break-ins, cable theft, and loitering in concealment spots.

• Faster, safer emergency response. House numbers, road hazards, and suspects are easier to see; responders can move and stage safely.

• Prevents night-time crashes. Lit roads improve drivers’ reaction time at intersections, bends, and pedestrian crossings—reducing collisions with people, animals, and obstacles.

• Protects schoolchildren, walkers, and cyclists. Good lighting shortens “fear distances” and makes sidewalks, taxi stops, and paths feel usable after dark.

• Multiplies the value of CCTV. Cameras (especially LPR and overview) produce sharper footage with higher identification rates when scenes are well lit; you get clearer faces, plates, and colours.

• Cuts the “fear of crime.” Consistent lighting reduces anxiety and helps residents actually use public spaces at night, which itself is a deterrent (more legitimate activity = fewer offenders).

• Supports CPTED principles. Lighting is a core Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design control—removing concealment, reinforcing territoriality, and clarifying sightlines.

• Targets hotspots. Well-lit gateways, alleys, parks, footbridges, and transport stops are less attractive for ambush and stashing stolen goods.

• Protects infrastructure. Bright, uniform lighting around substations, cabinets, and poles makes tampering and copper theft riskier.

• Equity & vulnerability. Reliable lighting particularly benefits women, the elderly, shift workers, and learners who travel at dawn/dusk.

• Community trust & cohesion. “Lights working” is a visible sign that the area is cared for—boosting reporting, volunteerism, and cooperation with safety projects.

• Map dead lights during a single night “light walk/drive” and submit a batch fault list with pole IDs.
• Prioritise gateways + hotspots for immediate repair; escalate with the councillor/roads & electricity department.
• Pair lighting checks with your CCTV rollout so each camera has adequate lux at night.
• Ask businesses to “adopt a light” outside their frontage and keep it reported and working.
• We will aim to publish a simple monthly “lights out fixed” stat— so it keeps pressure on, and residents keep reporting until resolution

• WhatsApp: Send a "Hi" message to 076 791 2449 to activate the chatbot for fault reporting.
• Online Portal: Visit webfaults.durban.gov.za and follow the steps to report the fault online.
• Email: Send an email to electricity.faults@durban.gov.za.
• Telephone Reporting
• Contact Centre: Call the toll-free number 080 311 1111 to report the fault to the Contact Centre.

When reporting the fault, ensure you include the following information for faster resolution:

• You will batch log for all Pole Numbers
• Your name and surname.
• Your contact number.
• -The full street address of the affected area.
• A clear description of the street light fault or outage. Each Pole has a Pole Number Affixed to it. Quote that unique pole number when logging a fault. If possible, upload a photo of the Pole Number
• Upload your Reference Number to the WhatsApp Group, so we can track these faults
• Wait 14 Days for a response before asking for an Escalation to the Councillor cllrsamantha.windvogel@gmail.com

Please make use of the Template below created for you in excel format to batch report non-working streetlights. Line 1 is an example of the information needed to report faulty streetlights and for an expeditious resolution.