TMDM lights up local municipalities

By Emily Setona

BETHLEHEM – The Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality’s (TMDM) technical service portfolio committee this week undertook an inspection tour of the high mast lights and streetlights in the local municipalities of Dihlabeng and Nketoana.

According to the director of the department of infrastructure and transport, Bernard Mphahlele, the aim of this site visit to the communities of Bethlehem, Reitz and Petrus Steyn was to ensure that the high mast lights and streetlights that were installed in October 2022 are functioning properly.

“The aim of this project is to reduce the energy consumption of the streetlights and high mast lights by implementing more efficient and cost effective technology. We have replaced the old bulbs that consume a lot of energy with new technology LED bulbs.

“This project also aims to reduce the municipalities’ electricity bill,” Mphahlele said.

High-mast lights are used to illuminate large areas from a very high mounting height for pedestrian use and safety. Through this infrastructure project the local municipalities of Dihlabeng and Nketoana had new high mast lights and streetlights installed in October 2022. The old 1000W HPS floodlight high mast lights were replaced with new technology 400W LED lights and the streetlights 150W HPS lights replaced with 60W LED lights.

The inspection visits that were conducted by the district municipality’s members of portfolio committee on technical services aimed to make sure that the lights were functional and faultless.

A resident of the township of Sea Point in Petrus Steyn, Mathoto Mokoena told The Guard: “The crime level has dropped in our community and we don’t worry much when the kids play outside at night. The high mast lights help us to feel safe at night.”

Mamoya Malinga of Petsana Reitz echoed these same sentiments, as she told this publication that crime has declined significantly in her township since the installation of the high mast lights.