John Muyamba
RUNDU – Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (Nored) has commissioned Rundu’s Ndama Extensions 2 and 3 electrification project.
The project was executed under the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) and will cost Nored N$1.8 million.
“The electrification of these two extensions firmly sits under the ‘community pillar’ of our CSR strategy which aims for positive contributions to the communities within our area of operations through the provision of access to electricity and by supporting other worthy causes,” said Nored CEO Fillemon Nakashole during the commissioning event yesterday.
Nored has executed and commissioned many electrification projects across its area of operation, the company said. Equally, they have also supported various causes aimed at social upliftment and economic empowerment of people.
“Today’s ceremony marks another milestone and an addition to the many joy that we have observed at many other similar projects that the company has commissioned in Rundu town, and Kavango East Region at large,” Nakashole said. “Rundu town is one of the fastest growing towns with a high population in the region. Again, the statistics has shown the town is behind in terms of infrastructural developments,” he added. However, as far as other capital and electrification projects are concerned in Rundu town, Nored has invested in quite a number of them over the past three financial years. Nored has carried out the following major projects.
The electricity distribution firm constructed and commissioned the Rundu Intake Station in 2016. An intake station was required to serve as a central distribution point for control and evacuation of power supply to different areas of the town. The intake was designed to cater for current and future growth demand of the town and the surrounding areas.
“Similarly, in the last financial year, we have financed the upgrading of NamPower Rundu Substation to ensure security and reliability of supply to town. Nored has fully paid for this capital intensive project and waits for NamPower to commence with upgrading works. Nored spent N$16 million in this project,” Nakashole noted. In 2017, Nored as part of its CSR has electrified Kehemu townships, namely, Extensions 18, 19, 24 and 25 together with Sarusungu Border Post. “We have also electrified a community’s borehole at Omega for the San community. These projects were already officially handed over to the beneficiaries in the same year.
Last year, Nored has also purchased and installed metering points at the cross border supply points in Kavango East Region to ensure energy management at all bulk supply points. This project has cost N$5 million.
Furthermore, in November last year, Nored has also officially inaugurated its newly constructed North East Regional Office in Rundu. The new state-of-the-art building was built at a cost of N$30. 7 million. This office was constructed with the principal objective to facilitate the transfer of decentralised functions and responsibilities such as finances and other administrative works from the head office to the regional level and in turn deliver efficiently and effectively services to the public.
Still in Kavango East, last year, Nored installed streetlights at Ndiyona Police Road Block and at the same time electrified Rumwemwe village, situated in Ndonga Linena and the project was commissioned already in May this year.