Southern villages avoid power cuts
Southern villages avoid power cuts

Southern villages avoid power cuts

Ogone Tlhage
NamPower will no longer cut the electricity supply to various villages and government offices in the south.

The power utility was due to cut the electricity supply to the Aranos town council, as well as the Tses, Koës and Berseba village councils.

The power cuts were expected from yesterday.

The electricity cuts were also expected to affect the Neckartal Dam, which is currently being constructed, the Kalahari experimental farm, the offices of the directorate of veterinary services in Ariamsvlei and other veterinary offices in Buitepos and Noordoewer, as well as the Orange River green scheme project, which is currently being managed by Agribusdev.

Speaking on the development, NamPower managing director Simson Haulofu said the affected parties had made arrangements to pay what is owed to, which stands at a combined N$47 million.

“NamPower will no longer suspend power supply to the local authorities, government departments and other customers that it was due to disconnect yesterday, due to long outstanding accounts, after most of them responded positively by paying their accounts and making the necessary arrangements to settle them,” Haulofu said.

He added that NamPower would monitor adherence to pay by the parties.

“Those who fail to honour their agreements going forward will be disconnected,” he said.

While announcing the intended power cuts last week, NamPower encouraged the affected parties to make use of power generators to contend with the blackouts. It came to the decision to cut power, after continuous engagements with the affected parties to settle their outstanding accounts did not yield positive results.

“Institutions that provide critical services are kindly advised to ensure that standby generators are used or alternative arrangements are made,” NamPower said at the time.

Berseba village council CEO Charles Vries said efforts were made to ensure that power would not be cut.

His council currently owes NamPower N$1 million.

“There were such talks that power would be cut but we made arrangements to pay off the electricity we will be consuming while the other portion of existing debt will be paid off on a monthly basis,” Vries said last week.

Tses councillor Josef Awasman said they had made arrangements and were still looking to engage NamPower further.

OGONE TLHAGE

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-19

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