By Staff Reporter TSUMEB The Chief Executive Officer for Central North Regional Electricity Distributing Company (Cenored) has announced the commencement of the electrification and electricity infrastructure rehabilitation process in the Soweto suburb of Tsumeb. Mburumba Appolus says Soweto residents have been consuming electricity at no charge since his company took over the responsibilities of electricity supply. The residents are aware, however, and are willing and able to pay for consumption, according to a study recently conducted by G.S. Fainsinger & Associates, consulting engineers. The project is co-funded by the Tsumeb Municipality at N$2.4-million which is scheduled to be completed towards September this year. According to Cenored, studies have indicated that the electrical installation in the suburb is currently unsafe and not maintainable since no metering has been installed. “The area of Soweto is electrified since 1950, but the infrastructure is in a poor state of repair and, based on historical developments, the area is currently supplied with electricity at the expense of the municipality paying the full monthly cost as demand and energy charge,” says Appolus. He added that as per government’s objective to fulfill Vision 2030, a key priority objective is to provide electricity to the majority of the urban and rural population also as a catalyst for economic growth, social development and upliftment and progress. It is a clear policy in terms of the Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) that electricity has to be delivered in a safe manner at cost, reflective of approved rates and tariffs and that electricity has to be paid for. “Consumers must be given the choice to pay for electricity, if they are willing, able and prepared to do so”. Appolus commended the council for its commitment towards the project, noting that the town (Soweto) is in desperate need of the rehabilitation of the electrification infrastructure since in its current state of poor quality in terms of supply and services, serious hazards could be posed to the lives of residents. He stressed that the installations (electricity) in the suburb are not done in accordance with the minimum requirements of the SABS, hence the justification of the rehabilitation need as proven from socio-demographic surveys as well as both political and economic aspects. An estimated 280 households will benefit from the project and lighting will be provided by standard streetlights. The Tsumeb-based Powerline 2000 Company won the tender for the implementation of the project. A Soweto resident, Zelda Garises (51) welcomed the project, stating that the introduction of more streetlights to the suburb would minimize the rising criminal activities there. She noted that many incidents of rape of both minors and elderly people, including cases of assault, have been reported in that area on a regular basis while the current provision of streetlights has always been insufficient. “It is a good project, it is only that we have to pay for electricity all of a sudden, but we will survive the challenge. We want them (Cenored) to provide us with prepaid electricity meters at no cost so that we can just buy (electricity) based on affordability”, she said. Garises also commended the Municipal Council for showing leniency by providing “free” electricity to Soweto residents for all the past years. “We agree to pay because the rendering of free services would impact negatively on the development of the town. We are aware that Cenored has taken over the supply of electricity, but our council should consider building in incentives for our pensioners who sometimes cannot afford the services”, she stressed. Sources at the town told New Era that government is being lobbied by local authorities to supplement council’s financial backing of the project in order to ensure that the rehabilitation of the old houses be timeously commissioned. Council is reported to have committed more than N$2-million to instal water and sewerage lines to individual households and are building ablution facilities to replace the communal toilets that have been described as causing unhygienic conditions. Many immigrants from other towns have reportedly converged on the suburb to live in backyards, thereby putting pressure on the sewerage network that can no longer afford the pressure from the influx. Government sources, however, could not shed more light on the subject, but indicated that the Soweto project is currently receiving attention through the line ministry.