Street Lighting Issues in eThekwini: What’s Going On?

The Big Picture

The eThekwini Municipality’s Street Lighting Department is dealing with a handful of problems that make keeping the city’s lights on a real challenge. They’re short on money for supplies, often run out of key parts, and sometimes experience delays when those parts finally arrive.

Why Councilor Allan Peterson Spoke Up

Concerns Raised at the June Council Meeting

Ward 11 councilor Allan Peterson brought up the street‑light situation during a council meeting in June. He pointed out that the city is losing billions each year because of non‑revenue losses in electricity and water, and faulty street lights are part of the problem.

The Photoelectric Control Unit (PEC) Problem

Peterson highlighted a specific issue: many street lights stay on during daylight because the photoelectric control units—small devices that sense when it’s dark—are missing or broken. This wastes power and drives up operating costs.

He asked for details on how many PECs are in stock, when the last big order was placed, and whether budget or procurement hurdles are slowing things down.

What the Municipality Said in Response

Current Breakdown Numbers

As of May 2026, the township recorded 26,691 broken streetlights or work orders. That figure includes some duplicates, but it shows the scale of the backlog.

Data Gaps on Day‑time Lights

Because there’s no real‑time monitoring system, the city can’t tell exactly how many lights are mistakenly left on during the day.

Inventory of PECs

Officials confirmed they have about 2,000 photoelectric control units on hand after a bulk purchase completed in the third quarter of the 2025/26 fiscal year.

Replacement Process

There isn’t a set “turnaround time” for swapping a bad PEC. When a unit fails, crews usually replace it during routine maintenance. The actual swap—getting the bucket truck, removing the light, and installing a new unit—takes less than an hour. Some lights have the PEC built into the socket, so if that part fails the whole socket must be changed.

How the City Is Trying to Fix Things

Boosting Repair Teams

The municipality has added contractors to its internal street‑light repair crews and runs night patrols to spot broken lights more quickly.

Maintenance Strategy

• Preventative checks: Street‑light poles get inspected every five years; fittings, kiosks, and cable distribution units are looked at each year.
• Reactive fixes: Crews replace bulbs, photocells, and repair damage from vandalism as soon as they’re reported.

Manpower Breakdown

Peterson noted that the city is split into six regions. Each region has 16 electricians (six employed directly by the municipality and ten hired as contractors) and 32 tradespeople who handle street‑lighting issues.

Bottom Line

eThekwini’s street‑lighting system is struggling with budget limits, parts shortages, and delayed deliveries, which leads to many lights staying on during the day and a growing list of broken fixtures. While the municipality has stocked up on photoelectric control units and is boosting its repair crews with contractors and night patrols, there’s still no real‑time way to track daytime‑on lights. Improving monitoring, securing steadier funding, and speeding up parts delivery will be key to keeping the city’s streets safely lit without wasting energy.