Loide Jason
The City of Windhoek has electrified 86 informal households in the Moses //Garoëb and Tobias Hainyeko constituencies to the tune of N$8 million.
Windhoek mayor Fransina Kahungu announced this yesterday at the Havana informal settlement in Katutura during the occasion of the official commissioning the electrification project.
Kahungu explained 22 households in Havana and 64 in Okuryangava were electrified. She added the project will continue until it reaches its target of 1 300 households from various informal settlements around Windhoek before the end of October.
Minister of urban and rural development Erastus Uutoni, speaking at the same occasion, urged the beneficiaries to utilise the electricity to generate income by creating businesses.
“We know you have been waiting for too long to have electricity, now that you got it please create businesses and make income using electricity,” he said.
“We are aware that people were forced to pay a lot of money to the illegal suppliers of electricity, now that too has become the thing of the past because the government has now been committed to delivering services to its people. I would, therefore, like to encourage the city council to intensify these kinds of projects because only through this, we as a nation will be able to achieve prosperity for all our people. As a line ministry, I will continue to lobby for more funds for local authorities because it is you who are working closer to the electorate and are, therefore, familiar with their needs and aspirations.”
According to Uutoni, the government had budgeted N$15 million towards capital projects for the 2019/2020 financial year.
“Therefore, our goal should be to remain focus and work as a team toward bringing the needed development of our communities. Thus, our government, through our ministry, provided funding to the City of Windhoek in the amount of N$15 million toward the capital project for the financial year 2019/2020 – and this project in one of the highlights,” he said.
Community leader Shetweya Shikalepo, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed gratitude towards the initiative, saying they have been waiting for the past 20 years for electricity and now their dreams have come true.
Moses //Garoëb councillor Martin David said government is busy with several projects in the area, such as the provision of land, water and electricity, as well as the construction of a district hospital and three schools.
“Therefore, you need to be a little bit patient for all these services. Like for the hospital, people are already on the site, constructing the bridge – and soon, the construction of the main project will kick off,” he said.
– ljason@nepc.com.na