Oshakati households to get free power 0 Oshakati Premier Electric (OPE), which is owned by the Oshakati town council, will use half of its dividends to provide electricity to 1 120 houses in informal settlements for free.The project, which will take place over two years, will see N$7 million diverted towards the project.
The usual cost of having a house electrified by OPE is N$6 000.
OPE chief executive Nelson Sheya said the company found that 1 120 houses in settlements it had electrified 16 years ago were not yet connected to the grid.
The houses are in Uupindi North and South, Evululuko Extension 10, 11 and 12, Okandjengedi and Ompumbu.
“We then approached our shareholder, the Oshakati town council, to reinvest 50 percent of its returns in OPE for the next two financial years in order to connect the identified households to the grid,” Sheya said.
He said the initiative will contribute towards the sustainable development goals of ending poverty, ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, promoting inclusivity, and economic growth.
“This will go far in achieving the desired outcome with respect to economic transformation, which is economic empowerment leading to higher inclusion of disadvantaged groups in the formal economy and thereby ensuring prosperity for all and creating a society where no one feels left out,” Sheya said.
Oshakati Mayor Katrina Shimbulu said it is undisputed that access to electricity has a lot of replicated benefits both economically and socially.
Shimbulu said the initiative is in line with the eleventh object stipulated in the Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP) which calls for the provision of electricity to all schools and health facilities by the year 2020.
“We shall provide an opportunity for our citizens whose children are unable to study at night, to do so and therefore enable them to positively shape their future,” she said.
“We therefore urge the beneficiaries of this gesture to ensure that this opportunity makes a positive difference in their lives,” Shimbulu added.
Shimbulu urged the beneficiaries to adhere to the law as far as illegal power connections are concerned, saying that it should be discouraged as it can ruin people’s lives and destroy their property.
“I wish to appeal to the community of Oshakati to adhere to the relevant bylaws that govern the usage and treatment of electricity in our town. Illegal connections and lack of respect for infrastructure must be avoided at all times. Electricity should be treated with utmost care as it can cause injuries and damage to property,” she warned.
During the first phase 600 houses will be electrified and the second phase will start during the 2017/2018 financial year.
KENYA KAMBOWE