Thousands to benefit from latest electrification projects in Khayelitsha, Philippi

The City of Cape Town is overjoyed with the progress to electrify thousands of households in Philippi and Khayelitsha this week. Access to electricity is a key component of improving the living conditions of Cape Town’s most vulnerable residents. Read more below:

Construction of the infrastructure necessary to electrify Jim se Bos informal settlement in Philippi has started. The first phase of the electrification project will connect 450 households to the electricity grid. Further surveys will be undertaken to determine the number of households that will benefit from the second phase.

It is expected that the first phase of this R2,8 million City-project will be completed by the end of March 2019, if all goes according to plan.

‘Based on the site inspection that I have conducted, I am satisfied with the progress thus far and I thank the community for working with us to ensure that this phase is completed in the shortest possible timeframes. Access to electricity, where it is possible to install, is a game-changer especially for the most vulnerable in our society. It enables economic growth and allows small home-based businesses to operate more efficiently; it enhances safety; reduces the risk of fires; promotes better public health; and also creates an improved environment for learners to achieve better academic results since they no longer have to use candle light to do homework and study for exams.

‘We remain committed to improving the lives of our residents in informal settlements. According to the City’s latest Annual Report, 97,3% of our households have access to electricity, 98,4% have access to refuse removal and 94,3% have access to sanitation,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Energy and Climate Change, Councillor Phindile Maxiti.

The City’s Electricity Generation and Distribution Department as well as the Informal Settlements and Backyarder Department will continue to go above and beyond the call of duty to see that this project is concluded successfully.

Earlier in the week, on Thursday 14 February, a milestone was reached with the switching on of electricity for the first of more than 600 homes in RR Section in Khayelitsha as part of the first phase of this project. The electrification project, which will see 3 000 dwellings connected to the power grid, comes after some years of planning, community engagement and hard graft.

Initially, the project required informal structures to be relocated to enable the electrification work to proceed. This was an immense task and was necessary to enable Eskom to get sufficient access to install the services. Part of the informal settlement is situated on Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) land, while the other part is situated on City-owned land. The City initially approached Prasa and Eskom to request the electrification of this area.

The partnership between Prasa, the City and Eskom is resulting in tangible positive change. The City thanks Eskom for all of the hard work and dedication that has gone into this electrification project which will benefit a number of informal settlements in the area.

There are areas in Cape Town which are supplied by the City and areas which are supplied by Eskom. Electrification in City supply areas is above 97%.

Permanent electricity services cannot be installed in cases where, for instance, residents live under power lines or on railway/road reserves, or where the land is uninhabitable such as settlements formed on wetlands, floodplains or other water bodies; where residents have settled on privately-owned land; or where no permission exists for the City to install such basic services, among others.

Source: City Of Cape Town

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