South Africa Power Utility Eskom said on Monday that it has surpassed its electrification target in North West province by linking 19 407 houses for the present 2016/17 financial year.
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Originally Eskom had planned to connect only 19 285.
North West Eskom operating unit general manager Azwi Mamanyuha said that Eskom had supplied electricity to 1 400 home to the community of Kgabalatsane village in the Madibeng Local Municipality.
Mamanyuha said Madibeng Local Municipality was one of the municipalities paying on time in the province while others across the nation were experiencing electricity cut-offs.
“This municipality is submitting payments of electricity, they paid us well last year, and they are still doing so even this year,” Mamanyuha said.
“We are moving forward and will keep on connecting households. We will be unable to do so if our municipalities do not pay for their electricity.”
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North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo applauded Eskom for supplying electricity to Kgabalatsane village, saying the dignity of the people had been restored yet again.
“After waiting tolerantly, we are pleased to announce that the people of Kgabalatsane now have electricity, and this is because of the fine work that Eskom working together with the government carry on to do in our province,” Mahumapelo said.
“We laud Eskom for the hard work they are doing to guarantee that few communities in our province without electricity get connected.”
Mahumapelo said in his visit to the community last year that inhabitants had protested that they were suffering because of not having electricity.
He then promised that the provincial government working with Eskom would guarantee that in the start of 2017, there was electricity in their region.
“So we are happy that our government carries on achieving a lot in as far as electricity is concerned and Eskom must be highly praised in this regard.” Mahumapelo said.
