President, Mayor bring electricity to Thembelihle Informal Settlement

01 July 2016

 

The people of Thembelihle Informal Settlement near Lenasia now have electricity in their homes.

 

This follows a visit by a government delegation led by President Jacob Zuma, Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Paul Mashatile and Executive Mayor Parks Tau to switch on lights to some 7000 households in the settlement.

The high powered delegation included Gauteng MEC of Housing Jacob Mamabolo, MEC of Health Qedani Mahlangu and the City of Johannesburg Members of the Mayoral Committee.

The delegation received a warm welcome from residents as they moved from shack to shack, flicking on the switches. “We have delivered for the people of Lenasia and we have delivered for the people of Thembelihle,” Mayor Tau said.

President Zuma congratulated the City of Johannesburg on its initiative, saying the electrification will restore the dignity of people. The President announced that the City had a plan to electrify all informal settlements by 2021. “Every Johannesburg citizen will have electricity authorised by government in the next five years,” he said to loud cheers.

The electrification of this sprawling settlement forms part of the City’s efforts to curb illegal connections and theft of electricity by residents who have no access to the national grid. Illegal connections are rife in informal settlements like Thembelihle, often leading to the overload of the network and posing a risk to residents. City Power, the Johannesburg power utility, has attributed recent power outages in the city to these illegal connections.

Mayor Tau said the electrification of Thembelihle will unlock economic opportunities in the area.

"The City of Johannesburg is the only metro that doesn't perceive informal settlements as an eyesore, but as human settlements that require improvement for the wellbeing of its residents. We believe that the electrification of this neighbourhood will kickstart economic activity in the area and improve the quality of life for the residents in line with Johannesburg's vision of becoming a world-class African city."