Desmond Boshego
LIMPOPO -The lives of the residents from Madienyane village in the Ga-Mashashane have been changed for the better says Jack Bruintjies, community leader.
This was after Aganang Municipality recently handed over tokens of alternative energy to the residents… sustainable alternative energy is now seen as the answer for the immediate power problems in the Mashashane extension.
Speaking during the event Maria Mokobodi, Mayor of Aganang, said the municipality is committed to provide all residents with electricity. 105 villages have been electrified so far.
“As a municipality, we have a responsibility to take care of our villages which are not yet electrified.” She indicated the municipality has a priority list of all extensions to be electrified. A budged of R6 million have been put aside to electrify extensions this financial year.
“We have been running this programme as a pilot project for the past seven years and we saw it is able to eliminate the risks of health hazards and house fires. We pride ourselves that we are the only municipality in this province which has managed to successfully run this programme,” added Mokobodi.
Peter Moruthane , municipal spokesperson, said around 500 people who registered as indigents in Aganang are going to benefit from the programme.
“The village has been provided with up to eight hours of safe light with a single day’s charge. There will be no more looking for candles and lamps or struggling with torches and flat batteries. This tough, splash proof and virtually indestructible lantern has been fitted with a Lithium-Ion-Phosphate battery for a longer burn life and a superb light LED. The municipality will also distribute the lights to people who are currently using oil lights in other villages. A total of R4,8 million has been put aside by the municipality in this financial year to distribute free electricity to those who have access to electricity and basic alternative energy to those without electricity,” said Moruthane.
He said the new settlement does not have electricity and they supplied the villagers with gel stoves, gel fuels, and sola lights.
“Sola lights are being rolled out for the first time as a replacement to oil lights which were being used in other villages in the past years. Although those oil lights do not use gel-fuel, there is still a risk. These lamps provide a safe, smokeless and economical alternative lighting source,” he added.
Moruthane said the new solar lights will create a sustainable and risk-free environment.
