Fifty-five homes in the Masonwabe informal settlement in Gugulethu are being connected to the electricity grid through a City of Cape Town project.

The project, which costs R883 735, aims to provide residents with safer and more reliable electricity.

The City says workers have already installed electricity poles and are busy putting up overhead cables designed to reduce the risk of cable theft and improve the quality of electricity supply.

Workers are also installing pre-assembled electrical boards with a lightbulb, multiple plug sockets and USB ports.

The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Xanthea Limberg, says residents are excited about getting formal electricity connections.

“Having spoken with some members of this community, I was moved by their excitement as they will have the dignity of accessing formal electricity.”

 

She adds that qualifying households can access the City’s subsidised electricity services, including up to 60 units of Free Basic Electricity.

Limberg says residents who are already connected have told her that the subsidised electricity service has helped them manage household costs.

“Those already connected have shared with me how the City’s subsidised lifeline tariff, which includes up to 60 Free Basic Electricity units (FBE), has enabled them to manage household costs in the wake of Eskom-driven tariff hikes.”

The project has also created seven temporary job opportunities for local residents through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).

Limberg says the project is about more than providing electricity.

“Electrification is about more than providing electricity. It is about improving residents’ quality of life, making communities safer and ensuring households can access reliable services.”