Authorities deplore acts of vandalism on Ile Perseverance |06 October 2022

The delegation assessing the damage caused to the electrical infrastructure (Photo: Patrick Joubert)

Government and district authorities have deplored acts of vandalism on electrical structures on Ile Perseverance which have caused parts of the area to be without street lighting and in darkness for the past three weeks.

The chief executive officer of the Seychelles Infrastructure Agency, Jitesh Shah, the director of electricity at the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC), Ravin Sunassee and the member of the National Assembly for Ile Perseverance, Honourable Desheilla Bastienne, met with the press on Tuesday evening to condemn those irresponsible actions and behaviour.

Mr Jitesh said although there were some issues with street lights on some parts of Ile Perseverance, in terms of malfunctioning or broken wires, or even some bulbs which were not functioning and needed replacement, there was evidence that people were tampering with the wires in the structures, including with other wires and switches in the distribution boxes, which plunged some streets in residential areas in total darkness. 

He added that following complaints, many of the 700 circuit of street lights, especially in the affected areas, have been serviced and are now functioning for the safety of the inhabitants on the streets at night. 

He further added that it will take six to eight months to service all of the 700 lights to light up the whole of the island.

Mr Shah said that the agency will be looking in the long term, in collaboration with the Seychelles Land Transport Agency, responsible for streets lights, to replace the electrical street lights on the island with a solar powered system in the future which will curb vandalism at ground level and for safety of inhabitants. He said that the act of vandalism is causing frustrations to the agency and partners which have to come back to repair the same damage to street lights over and over again and which is costing a lot of money.

He reminded the residents that the streets lights are to light up the streets only and not for lighting up of the residences.

For his part, Mr Sunassee said that the person or persons tampering with electrical structures are in great danger of losing their own lives and that of other people passing by.

He warned the people against vandalising the street light columns as the corporation does not want anybody to lose their lives from the probably unnoticed live hanging wires.

He added that as tampering with electrical structures is considered an illegal act, a person or persons found to be responsible for breaking and damaging such properties will be charged.

Honourable Bastienne also called on those responsible to refrain from vandalising the electrical structures, which is a danger to residents, especially children, or else they will face the consequences.  

Patrick Joubert