Infrastructure resilience against vandalism: a case study of solar street lighting in selected Gauteng metros

Abstract

Solar Street lighting vandalism in Gauteng metros reveals a complex problem that technical fixes alone cannot solve. This study examines why infrastructure resilience strategies fail when they treat vandalism as merely hardware or a security issue, rather than a sociotechnical systems challenge. The research investigates the drivers of vandalism affecting solar street lighting in Johannesburg and Tshwane, evaluates current response strategies, explores community participation dynamics, and identifies necessary governance reforms. Using an interpretivist qualitative approach, 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted with municipal engineers, and original equipment manufacturers. Thematic analysis, guided by socio-ecological-technical-systems (SETS) framework, revealed that vandalism stems from interconnected social, institutional, and technical vulnerabilities. Economic desperation, political frustration, institutional fragmentation, and poor community engagement create conditions where vandalism becomes rational or expressive. The findings demonstrate that fragmented, reactive approaches merely shift vulnerability rather than building resilience. Sustainable solutions require integrated strategies that combine robust technical design, transparent governance, meaningful community participation, and cross-departmental coordination. Gauteng’s challenging context of migration, poverty and resource constraints makes it an ideal proving ground. If resilience orientated systems-thinking approaches succeed here, they can be scaled across South Africa. The study contributes a practical framework for embedding resilience thinking into urban infrastructure planning and management.