The City of Cape Town announced that 99% of older, existing informal settlements on City-owned land have been connected to the grid.
Also read: Unprecedented levels of vandalism placing strain on CT’s energy teams
The City’s electrification projects in Sihlanu and Mabophe in Nyanga started earlier this year and several homes have since been connected.
‘This was truly a memorable occasion for us to share with the residents and these special electrification projects will provide electricity connections in the homes of many families,’ says the City’s acting Mayco member for energy, Siseko Mbandezi.
‘Connecting families to the grid has (…) many benefits, including enhancing livelihoods and providing safer light for learners to study by at night,’ he adds.
‘Most importantly, electrifying communities where (…) possible (…) will improve the safety of communities immediately. It is a huge benefit for families as they no longer need to rely on open flames for cooking and lighting.’
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He called on communities to help the City protect its infrastructure by reporting criminal activity, such as theft or vandalism.
‘We thank all stakeholders for assisting the City with the projects and we urge the communities to be our eyes and ears and to report tampering, vandalism and illegal connections to us.’
The City found the following issues, generally in hotspot areas around the metro:
- Destruction caused by vandalism
- Theft and illegal connections are so severe that entire grids need to be rebuilt
- Escalating safety issues that threaten service delivery
- Repeated vandalism, theft and illegal connections within hours of restoration
To report suspicious behaviour to the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre, contact 021 480 7700.
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Also read:
Vandalism and theft of water and sanitation infrastructure costs City R12m
Picture: City of Cape Town