RESIDENTS of the Esselen Park RDP houses will soon be able to enjoy their basic human right of having electricity in their homes.
May 6 marked the launch of the Electrification Project of Esselen Park ext 3 houses, which will see the lighting up of 1 313 homes in the area.
Present on the day were MMC for Water and Energy, Clr Aubrey Nxumalo, ward 91 PR councillor, Makhosazane Dhladhla-Mavundla and other members of the municipality and the water and energy department.
“This project is part of the government’s initiative to meet the universal access to basic services and at the same time provide services to the community of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality,” Mark Wilson of the energy department said.
The electrification process, which also created employment for 15 people, would be divided into two phases. Esselen Park ext 3A, consisting of 509 homes, started receiving electricity from July 1, 2013 to end of June 2014. The second phase, Esselen Park ext 3B, consisting of 804 homes, will receive electricity from July 1 until the end of June 2015.
Community members came out in large crowds where they eagerly awaited the address from Nxumalo. Some were seated inside the tent that was set up for the announcement and some stood outside as space had already been filled up inside.
Nxumalo highlighted the importance of service delivery and also thanked the community of Esselen Park for being patient with the metro in installing electricity in their homes.
“We as the metro first listen to the community’s complaints and requests, then we plan, we budget and finally we are able to implement. That is one of the reasons why it has taken some time for certain services, such as electricity, to be installed in this area,” Nxumalo said.
Nxumalo also urged residents to be smart, vigilant and aware of the issues and concerns of the area they live in, so as to be able to make informed decisions as citizens of this country.
“Public participation is extremely vital and is key when it comes to proper service delivery,” Nxumalo expressed.
The meeting was concluded with a question and answer session, where community members were given the opportunity to pose their questions to Nxumalo.
