MOST street lights in the City of Gweru have gone unrepaired for over 10 years, exposing residents to muggings by criminals especially at bus termini.
BY Stephen Chadenga
Council finance director Edgar Mwedzi told Southern Eye that the local authority had this year only managed to repair 50 of the city’s 2 600 street lights due to budgetary constraints.
“This network has endured progressive years of inadequate maintenance and repairs. Council therefore made a commitment to rehabilitate 50 out of 2 600 street lights,” he said.
Mwedzi said by August this year council had spent $64,512 on public lighting, adding most of the street lights had been vandalised including streets lights and tower lights.
He said next year council planned to spend at least $131 280 towards rehabilitation of 120 street lights in the central business district and along Harare-Bulawayo and Senga roads, respectively.
He also said 77 tower lights would be maintained at a cost of $90 000 in the high-density suburbs of Mkoba, Senga, Mtapa, Mambo and Ascot while six additional tower lights will be installed at a cost $120 000.
Gweru Residents Forum director Charles Mazorodze commended council for prioritising street lighting.
