By Seleoe Nonyane
Night time in Maseru city and nearby localities remains perpetually covered in darkness despite the number of street lights installed all around the city, which do not function.
This problem has been going on for quite some time now and there is no sign that it is being addressed.
For its part, the Maseru City Council (MCC) through its public relations officer, ‘Makatleho Mosala attributed the problem to lack of funds and vandalism.
“Vandalism is very high. Maintaining the street lights is not easy because equipment needed to repair the street lights is expensive.
“Some of the street lights have not been functional since we decided to install the very much brighter Apollo lights in some areas; these are less prone to vandalism,” she said.
She further explained that the upkeep of street lights is dependent on the people paying for the services the MCC provides, as required by the law.
“The truth is that our concentration and priority goes to the people that pay for our service. Apollo lights are not immune to vandalism though. One was damaged at Ha Leqele.
“Another option is for communities to arrange with MCC to purchase their own electricity, like the Ha Matala Phase II community.”
Ordinary people have constantly complained about the lack of street illumination in major streets.
An irked street vendor who sells fruits, vegetables and cigarettes at Lekhaloaneng Maseru Lesaoana Leketekete, told this publication that he cannot recall the last time the street lights worked because it has been years since he witnessed them working.
Leketekete works well into the night and he always worries about becoming a victim of crime.
“I sell my wares throughout the night because this is when I make a lot of money when my competitors are asleep.
“However, selling these at night is not easy because of the lack of illumination. I had to buy myself a torch to help increase visibility for my customers.
“But sometimes my battery gets depleted and I have to rely on my not-so-bright phone torch to light up. Luckily, the lights at the nearby gas station are also helpful, but just.
“I appeal to those responsible for the street lights to address the matter. If they are fixed, then maybe the level of nocturnal crime will go down.”
There have been attempts by MCC to light up residential areas around Maseru with Apollo lights, but, like the street lights in Maseru, lighting up the villages did not last long. These lights started dying out one by one.
A Ha Leqele resident Mokhera Sehloho was excited at the introduction of these lights but is sad that they are now all missing in action.
“It felt safe with the Apollo light working. I was comfortable walking late from work as it was easier to spot a potential criminal from a distance. But now we live in constant fear for our safety.
“I work at a local shop and knock off after 9:00pm. So it is scary walking home that late in diminished visibility. We are more susceptible to accidents.”
