OSHAKATI – About 800 residents of two informal settlements in Oshakati are set to receive free electricity connection at their homes.
This is part of the collaboration between Oshakati Town Council (OTC) and Oshakati Premier Electricity (OPE).
The two entities intend to electrify 770 households at extensions seven and eight of the Onawa informal settlement to the tune of N$21 million.
The project’s launch was officiated by the Rural and Urban minister, Erastus Uutoni, last Friday.
“I can only applaud OPE and OTC for this noble undertaking. As a government, we encourage these kinds of interventions, because they are aimed at bringing services closer to the people,” he said.
Uutoni said the successful and timely completion of this electrification project will mostly impact the lives of learners and the student population in the settlement.
At the same event, OPE’s Nelson Sheya explained that electricity connection, including pre-paid meters, which have lights and plugs, will be supplied to the residents’ dwellings for free.
“The beneficiaries from this project are also set to benefit from the National Electricity Support Tariff programme that aims at subsiding electricity tariffs for the low-income groups,” the CEO stated.
On his part, Oshakati mayor Leonard Hango said the formalisation of Oshakati informal settlements is one of the chief objectives of the council’s strategic plan, which runs for the next five years.
“So far, the council has been successful in formalising the following Oshakati informal settlements: Evululuko, now known as Oshakati Extensions 10 and 11; Pohamba location, now known as Extension 13; parts of Okandjengedi South, now known as Oshakati Extension 15; Ompumbu Proper and phase one of Uupindi South,” said Hango.
Apart from the inauguration of the electrification project, Uutoni also officiated the construction of the fire station which will be constructed at N$6.7 million and the dumping site at Othingo village, which is set to be constructed for N$6.5 Million.