City accelerates plans for Dunoon High Mast light repairs
18 March 2026
The City’s Energy teams have accelerated plans to repair faulty, encroached and vandalised high mast lights in the Dunoon area. Stakeholders have been engaged to speed up repairs where there are dependencies. We call on residents to work with us to help protect their power.
Dunoon falls within an Eskom supply area, however, the City’s public lighting responsibilities cover the entire Cape Town metropole jurisdiction. Dunoon has a mixed network of streetlights and a network of 14 high mast lights, which are crucial to the area’s public lighting needs. The Western Cape Provincial Government also maintains a network of streetlights in the area. The scale of encroachment and illegal connections make it nearly impossible for teams to promptly repair and maintain high masts.
‘I personally joined City Energy teams to see for myself public lighting needs and operational challenges in Dunoon. Several of our high mast light poles have been encroached and, in some cases, the Eskom cables powering them up have also been vandalised. Illegal electricity connections remain a major concern, which aren’t only a safety risk, but also damage electricity infrastructure and prolong outages. Upgrades and maintenance for high mast lights typically require a crane and sufficient access for teams to work. The level of encroachment in this area has severely limited our technical team’s ability to access and repair infrastructure where necessary.
‘The City maintains a mixed network of streetlights and 14 high mast lights in the area, with a maintenance budget of R4,9 million for the district, which includes Dunoon. We view high mast lights as a critical strategy to our public lighting needs in high density communities like these. To urgently improve our burn rate in the area, we have accelerated repair plans by engaging with other stakeholders like the City’s Human Settlements and Urban Waste Management Directorates as well as Eskom to fast-track dependencies where required. I’ll also be returning to the area this week, together with City and Eskom officials, to engage the community around all electricity-related matters in the area.
‘These initiatives are in addition to work already under way to protect electricity infrastructure and to ensure we continue to provide a reliable service. The City’s Energy Safety Teams and Law Enforcement maintain visibility in all hotspot areas We are exploring high-tech infrastructure protection solutions and, through our recently launched Protect Your Power campaign, we are calling on all residents to partner with the City by being our eyes and ears and to report suspicious behaviour to the City and the South African Police Service,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Alderman Xanthea Limberg.’
The City is conducting high mast lighting repairs across the metro, including in areas such as Khayelitsha. Residents are encouraged to report any faulty or vandalised infrastructure, as well as any suspicious activity near public lighting.
The City has also launched Protect Your Power, a first of a kind campaign, which highlights the massive impact of vandalism, theft and illegal connections which leave our communities, neighbourhoods, and roadways in the dark. The City is calling on all residents to help us Protect Your Power and build safer, brighter communities by reporting any suspicious activity anonymously to the City’s PECC. The SAPS remains the lead authority in crime prevention.
Let’s ACT: Protect Your Power
Report suspicious behaviour to the City’s PECC:
021 480 7700
Report illegal scrap yards to the ‘Copperheads’:
0800 222 771 (toll free, 24/7, anonymous tip-offs)
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
