55 homes in Masonwabe settlement in Gugulethu have been connected through electrification project.
The City is continuing its electrification project at Masonwabe settlement in Gugulethu, with an active project to connect 55 homes to the electricity grid. The R883 735 project forms part of the City’s ongoing efforts to provide safe and reliable electricity services to residents in informal settlements, where feasible.
‘The Masonwabe electrification project in Gugulethu is progressing swiftly with teams having already installed poles to support the overhead aerial bundle cables that aren’t just an effective alternative to theft prone copper cables, but also offer significantly enhanced quality of supply. In addition, our teams have been installing pre-assembled wall mountable electrical distribution boards, designed with new technologies that includes a lightbulb, multiple sockets, including for USBs for seamless plug and play.
‘Having spoken with some members of this community, I was moved by their excitement as they will have the dignity of accessing formal electricity. Those already connected have shared with me how the City’s subsidised lifeline tariff, which includes up to 60 Free Basic Electricity units (FBE), has enabled them to manage household costs in the wake of Eskom driven tariff hikes.
‘The added benefit of this project is the creation of local employment opportunities, with seven Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) work opportunities created specifically for residents in Masonwabe, ensuring direct pride and ownership of their infrastructure. I would like to thank this community, which waited patiently for this project and cooperated with the City from the initial consultation and design phases until we started implementation.
‘We owe a great deal of gratitude to the City’s Energy teams, who continue to positively impact lives by unlocking opportunities that comes with formal electricity access. For us at the City, electrification is about more than providing electricity. It is about improving residents’ quality of life, making communities safer and ensuring households can access reliable services,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Alderman Xanthea Limberg.
The City’s electrification programme prioritises areas where land ownership, service supply arrangements and site conditions allow for electricity infrastructure.
Once connected, qualifying households can access subsidised services, including Free Basic Electricity.
