City Power has unveiled the completion of the electrification of two informal settlements in Lenasia, as part of the ongoing efforts by the City of Johannesburg to formalise areas that have been earmarked for settlement upgrade.
The MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services, Cllr Jack Sekwaila and City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava led the switch-on ceremony on Thursday, 22 February in Patsing and Veggieland informal settlements.
After the department of Human Settlement declared the area suitable for human habitation, the City of Joburg, through it’s energy entity City Power, moved with speed to put up a network infrastructure to connect over 900 houses in Patsing, and 260 in the neighbouring Veggieland.
This project which involved the network reticulation, installation of transformers, stringing of conductors, service connections, joints and terminations and street light installation took close to eight months to complete at a cost of over R45-million.
During the handover, the residents of these two communities expressed gratitude that for the first time they will be able to have access to safe electricity.
“We are aware that some of the residents of Patsing and Veggieland, have not been electrified, partly because some may have settled here after the initial project plan was concluded. I’m excited to announce that from the beginning of next month, March 2024, we will embark on a project of connecting electricity supply to over 120 households,” said MMC Sekwaila.
Sekwaila further said that this project is vital not only for the continued upkeep of the infrastructure and safety of the communities, but also for the social and economic development of communities, which largely depend on access to power supply services.
“As the City’s Government of Local Unity, it is in our plans to electrify the more than 300 informal settlements in the City of Johannesburg. This is to ensure that our communities have access to this basic service without the threat of injuries and fatalities through exposure to illegal connections. It is also our commitment to bring other services that these communities need such as water and sanitation facilities”, added Sekwaila.
Sekwaila also said that the City has a responsibility to provide basic services to the communities of the City of Johannesburg and it will not fail on this mandate. The MMC concluded by urging the newly electrified residents to pay for the electricity they consume and not tamper with the newly installed infrastructure as this is not just a crime, but is also dangerous and can have fatal consequences. City Power CEO, Tshifularo Mashava commended the community’s involvement in the project and the cooperation shown throughout the course of the project.
“As City Power, we are proud to have been part of this historic project – of ensuring that the residents of Patsing and Veggieland here, who have been without electricity for decades, finally receive this essential service. The show of support has truly been remarkable”, said Mashava.
The entity believes that this initiative will go a long way in addressing Illegal connections which have placed unimaginable burden on its infrastructure, and contributes significantly to regular outages experienced by customers. There are four other electrification projects that City Power has been working on in the 2023/2024 financial year and they will be unveiled in the coming weeks and months.
