Prepaid power for shacks
2009-05-07
Sieb Sieberhagen
RESIDENTS of some of Paarl’s shack areas are to obtain access to prepaid electricity, in a move to decrease the danger of fire as well as to prevent proliferation of illegal wiring. During Tuesday’s Drakenstein municipal council meeting it was decided that an amount of R1,5 million, expenditure that was saved after the construction of the Mbekweni Multi-purpose Hall, will be spent on electrification of the Fairyland and Siyahlala shack areas, to address the dangerous informal electrical connections in these neighbourhoods. The project will start this month with public meetings to inform the public of the project. This is a new concept which will have “challenges” during the implementation phase, officials warned in their documentation. Koos le Roux stated that the DA was very concerned because safety regulations were not applied consistently and dangerous informal electric connections were allowed to flourish in Paarl. He handed in a signed letter from all the DA councillors which indemnifies them from any claims that may occur regarding these connections. He also suggested that the Mayor should consult with the Councils’ lawyers regarding liability cover. * The Council also agreed that an amount of just over R28 million, that was saved on the capital budget for 2008/2009, will be carried over to the 2009/2010 financial year. An amount of almost R4 million, which was saved in this period, will be used for capital projects that include fencing for the Orleans camping site (R100 000), general electricity reticulation for Wellington and Paarl (R2,2 million), vehicle replacement (R1 million) and additional vehicles and equipment (R537 000). * The municipal council meeting started with a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the Paarl.
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