The North West government is resolute that its latest intervention proposal that the beleaguered Lichtenburg-based Ditsobotla Local Municipality abdicate its electricity supply function directly to Eskom will permanently resolve its electricity provision problems. The provincial government said it’s unable to disregard the fact that the municipality is overwhelmed by the function of providing sustainable electricity to the communities in the past festive season.
Premier Lazarus Mokgosi, who was accompanied by MEC for Cooperative Governance, Oageng Molapisi made the suggestion to the Ditsobotla Council after it invited him yesterday. Mokgosi’s spokesperson Sello Tatai told Newsnote that the municipality has for the longest time been battling to provide uninterrupted power supply to its residents due to lack of financial capacity and the necessary skills to handle the provision of electricity.
“The Ditsobotla Local Municipal had during the festive season experienced prolonged power outages which affected provision of services like water.It also had an adverse impact on many businesses operating in the area.One might say that this is a recurring problem as it was not happening for the first time.Last year around December the Premier assembled a team to look into this particular issue and that team is comprised of municipal officials, including officials of Department of Cooperative Governance, led by MEC Molapisi to try and find a lasting solution to this particular problem,” said Tatai.
According to Tatai, a proposal was made to the council that the power utility take charge of the maintenance and the provision of the electricity at the municipality. “The Premier addressed the council to come up with ways in which there could be a permanent solution to this problem. It was highlighted during the discussion that the municipality doesn’t have money to deal with this problem of power outages or even upgrade the infrastructure which is seemingly old, and it is unable to sustain the services that are provided by the municipality.
To most importantly avoid an economic catastrophe if one might put it that way, where you are going to see an outflow of businesses operating in the area due to lack of sustainable electricity provision,” explained the spokesperson.
Moreover, the provincial government said it will in no distant future work out the modalities of this proposal in no later than the end of next month, as it is still going to engage various stakeholders including the Electricity and Energy Minister, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, and the District Municipality amongst others.
