City of Windhoek (CoW) Mayor, Job Amupanda, on Friday inaugurated the peri-urban electrification project in Havana informal settlement aimed at providing individual electricity service connections as part of CoW’s five-year plan.

At the event, he said the project is part of an agreement signed in 2020 between CoW and NamPower to electrify around 1 000 households in the informal areas around Windhoek, which would include electrical assets from NamPower to the city council at no cost, and the donation was approved by the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development in line with the Local Authority Act.

“Council already commenced with the programme in the 2017/18 financial year and planned to electrify 4 000 households, of which a total of 3 000 is completed thus far. The electrification projects were divided in 10, and areas like Babylon already have 100 households connected, Havana Extension 1 has 200 connections, Havana Extension 3 has 100, Okahandja Park 200 connections, Ongulumbashe 100 connections and Otjomuise Extension 6 and 7 have 200 connections,” said Amupanda.

He said the project is in its third year and there are two years left to reach its target of 4 000 households. The Havana inauguration comprises of 35 households and the remaining households are expected to be connected and switched on by the end of July 2021.

“The municipal council of Windhoek also wishes to embark on sustainable housing initiatives with the view to introducing a housing levy on building materials purchased to be charged countrywide. Occasions such as this bear testimony to the commitment to service delivery when public entities join forces,” stated Amupanda.

He said institutions like NamPower should be applauded for their commitment to ensuring the quality of life and dignity of residents in informal areas, despite the challenging times in which most institutions find themselves.

Source: Namibia Press Agency