A total of 1 548 houses in Otjozondjupa region have been electrified in the financial year 2022/2023.

Highlighted in the state of region address, electricity has become a major need in the communities within the region.

Central North Regional Distributor (Cenored) electrified a total of 497 houses in 2022 while 275 houses were electrified in 2023.

According to Otjozondjupa governor James Uerikua, the electrification across the region includes low-cost houses under the Shack Dwellers’ Federation and Build Together programmes as well as informal settlements and rural areas.

“Through the off-grid plants of 300 kilowatt at Tsumkwe, a total of 326 households and businesses have been connected to electricity. At Gam, the off-grid has managed to connect 450 households and 72 businesses to electricity with 292 kilowatts,” said Uerikua.

Uerikua maintained that the Ministry of Mines and Energy’s support in the electrification of the region is tremendous and commendable.

He said the projects funded by Cenored total an amount of N$51 million.

Uerikua further indicated that the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, through the programme for communal land development, drilled and rehabilitated two boreholes and installed two steel and seven concrete reservoirs.

“The project also included the installation of 10 tanks, 13 livestock troughs, six elephant barriers and a 42km water pipeline. The Rural Water Supply Division drilled eight boreholes and unfortunately two were not successful and could not yield water,” said Uerikua.