​​The Executive Mayor of the City of Joburg, Herman Mashaba has switched on over 90 streetlights on Olifantsfontein Road in Midrand in a bid to improve visibility and promote security in the area.

​The lights will operate automatically, switching on at dusk and off at dawn.

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​Mashaba was delighted to switch on the streetlights on Tuesday afternoon, noting that the area, which had been badly lit for decades, will no longer be the scorn of the community.

The switch on happened on an arterial road in an upmarket suburb, located near a meadow. At night, the suburb around Savannah Hills in Nordwyk would be badly lit, leading to potential muggings and road accidents.

The mayor said the switch-on would increase the quality of life in the area and artificially extend the hours in which it is lit. He said his coalition administration was devoted to improving safety for drivers, riders, and pedestrians on arterial roads. The public lighting will also offset crime on Olifansfontein Road.

City Power has set aside R40 million for the erection of streetlights and R60 million for repairs and maintenance in the current fiscal period.

Mayor Mashaba said he was confident City Power would spend its entire budget delivering on its mandate. “City Power is conducting numerous streetlight installation and maintenance projects throughout Johannesburg. While these new streetlights are being installed, City Power is continuing to undertake the maintenance of over 270 000 existing streetlights."

The City entity responsible for electricity provision has installed 167 new streetlights in the current fiscus, including on New Road, in Springfield, Winnie, Surrey, Neptune, Guilford, Walton and 7th Avenue.