Satisfactory progress with Mzinti electrification project

MZINTI – The minister of energy, Mr Ben Martins, has expressed satisfaction with progress made by Eskom with the electrification of more than 278 houses in this area.

This came to light during his project inspection visit to the sub-region on April 10, when he was accompanied by the executive mayor of Nkomazi, Cllr Thulisile Khoza, MEC of economic development, environmental and tourism, Ms Yvonne Phosa, and the MEC of human settlements, Mr Andries Gamede.

Martins visited and handed over food parcels to five households which had recently been fitted with electricity by Eskom, and who also received 50 free units of electricity for every month.

According to Martins more than 80 per cent of the area has been electrified. He said, “We visited four houses this morning, the houses of the poorest of the poor. Households headed by widows, or people with disabilities.

Our visit was to ensure that the people concerned had access to electricity. The children in those houses had access to social welfare. And also to interact with them so they can inform us on their day-to-day challenges.”

Furthermore Martins expressed his satisfaction with the government’s provision of electricity, saying the ANC-led government had managed to record a 52 per cent increase in the number of electricity connections nationally, since attaining power in 1994.

“The fact of the matter is that when the ANC-led government attained power in 1994, the electricity connections is about 34 per cent. Twenty years later the number of connections the ANC led-government has been able to make is 86 per cent. So that is a dramatic jump.

What we have been able to achieve as the government of the day, is what the previous government and the colonial government failed to achieve over 100 years. That is a fact of the matter. It is not me saying so as the minister of energy, but is a fact out there that has been proved,” Martins concluded .