Capital's townships stay dark for want of money

Without government support, a proposal to provide electricity to the informal settlements that ring the Namibian capital, Windhoek, is likely to be shelved because residents cannot afford the connection costs. A feasibility study commissioned by the Windhoek municipality found that income levels among the 14,000 people living in the townships were barely sustaining their most basic needs, leaving no surplus to pay for municipal services. The communities have complained about the lack of electricity, and street lighting in particular, because "dark neighbourhoods promote crime such as rape, murder and theft", a statement by the Windhoek Municipality noted. "Provision of electricity is an important factor in uplifting the living standards in poor communities and is critical to the development process," the statement observed. However, current guidelines prescribe that services be delivered on a total cost-recovery basis and electricity cannot be provided to consumers not in a financial position to pay for capital and operational costs. The costs associated with extending the infrastructure to include low-income users "make it impossible", Ronald Kubas, a partner at Burmeister & Partners, the engineering firm commissioned by the municipality to conduct the study, told IRIN. "The residents could probably pay for usage but not for the investment required in extending the power grid into the areas. The government would need to find alternative financing," Kubas commented. Without financial support, the electrification programme could not go ahead. The study called on the Minister of Regional and Local Government, and the Minister of Mines and Energy to develop a government support programme that included a subsidy to cover the costs associated with extending the power grid to the city's informal settlements.