Justicia Shipena
The government plans to increase its electrification budget to speed up access to electricity for peri-urban communities. The allocation is expected to rise from N$12 million to at least N$20 million.
This was announced by the minister of industries, mines, and energy, Modestus Amutse, during the groundbreaking ceremony and site handover of peri-urban electrification projects in the Hardap region on Thursday.
“Our intention is to increase this allocation to at least N$20 million, and potentially more, as we strengthen partnerships with other stakeholders and funding partners,” Amutse said.
Amuste said the real challenge going forward will not only be funding but also the ability to coordinate effectively, execute projects on time, and manage them transparently.
He said the projects mark a shift from planning to implementation.
According to him, contractors have already been appointed for Mariental and Rehoboth.
He said construction is underway in Aroab, while procurement processes for other towns have been completed.
The projects are being implemented under a service level agreement between the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy and the Southern Regional Electricity Distributor (SORED).
Under the current programme, the government has allocated N$12 million to electrify 969 peri-urban households across the Hardap and ǁKharas regions.
Beneficiary communities include Rehoboth, Mariental, Aranos, Hoachanas and Gibeon, as well as Aroab, Bethanie, Berseba, Aus, Grünau and Warmbad.
Amutse said peri-urban electrification allows the government to connect more households faster than in rural areas, where costs are higher.
“In some rural areas, connecting a single household can cost between N$80 000 and N$300 000. By comparison, peri-urban electrification typically costs between N$30 000 and N$50 000 per household,” he said.
He stressed that rural electrification will continue.
“We must continue to electrify rural Namibia. We must accelerate peri-urban electrification. And we must be honest about the tools we use to achieve universal access,” Amutse said.
Amutse also encouraged the use of solar energy where grid connections are impractical.
He said the government is promoting a mix of grid expansion and solar solutions.
Local authorities have contributed to the programme, with Rehoboth Town Council providing N$2.5 million and the Mariental Municipality contributing N$1.5 million.
Amutse said the contributions show local ownership and commitment to improving living conditions in growing peri-urban areas.
Caption
Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Modestus Amutse breaks ground at the start of peri-urban electrification projects in Mariental on Thursday.
- Photos: MIME
