Mogale City Local Municipality’s (MCLM) plan to energise and formalise informal settlements gained momentum as the Smokedown informal settlement became the latest to get electricity.

MCLM through the national Department of Energy recently switched on the lights at the informal settlement, providing the much-needed electricity to the needy community.

The second phase saw more than 500 households benefiting from a more than R8 million project for which Phuzamanzi Industrial Maintenance Projects was commissioned.

The project started in 2017 and initially, 570 households benefited from the initiative. The second phase started in the 2019 financial year and 246 households were the latest beneficiaries of the electrification initiative.

MCLM Executive Mayor Councillor Francis Makgatho, accompanied by Councillor Tshepo Nzwane, Member of the Mayoral Committee responsible for utilities, was over the moon.

Makgatho said supplying electricity to the informal settlements is one of the City’s longstanding initiatives that seeks to provide services to the people.

“We are grateful for the community of the Smokedown informal settlement who has been without electricity for a long period. Today we are celebrating with them and are looking forward to seeing them enjoy the benefits of being part of the bigger picture of all the residents,” he said.

This is the second informal settlement to be energised in less than a month. We energised Pangoville informal settlement in Munsieville, and we want to make sure that while we are providing services to other areas of our city and the less fortunate residents are also well taken care of,” he concluded.

While the residents were celebrating, Makgatho also cautioned them to look after the infrastructure as the better part of Mogale City townships have illegal connections.

Sylvester Barei, Senior Manager of Asset Creation for the Gauteng Operating Unit, said the R8,6 million electrification project is a step in the right direction for Smokedown.

“The electrification of informal settlements in Gauteng is a strategic drive to promote quality of life in disadvantaged areas, and to stimulate economic activities while advancing universal access to electricity,” Barei said.

“This is another way of optimising and safeguarding infrastructure through a legalised process. Customers will safely access electricity and benefit from the free basic electricity made available by Mogale City. The customers will, however, have a responsibility to pay for their services to ensure that they are sustained,” he added.

One of the beneficiaries, Nokuphumla Dlelintaka said, “I’m so happy that Mogale City Municipality stuck to their promises to provide us with electricity. Relying of paraffin is now a thing of the past, and I’m looking forward to seeing kids enjoy the benefits of watching television like others.”