Luqman Cloete
15 September 2008
Villagers at Tses are preparing to spend a sixth night without electricity.
NamPower cut the electricity supply to the southern village on Wednesday afternoon because the Village Council has not paid its electricity bill.
The Village Council owes the electricity bulk supplier N$176 000.
The council's monthly electricity bill ranges between N$38 000 and N$42 000, Village Council chairman Petrus Witbooi told The Namibian.
Witbooi said the council was pinning its hopes on the Local Government Ministry to either negotiate with NamPower or to pay the electricity bill.
"We've forwarded a request to the Ministry to bail us out and are still waiting anxiously for a reply," Witbooi said.
According to Witbooi, the council is unable to settle its debts with NamPower.
Witbooi urged defaulters to pay their council debts or face stiff action.
"To be honest, pensioners living at the town pay their council accounts on time, it is the civil servants who are the defaulters," he remarked.
He said the council was simply not generating enough money to stay afloat.
"What can one expect if 80 per cent of the villagers are unemployed," he said.
The power cut has also led to a water shortage at the town, as its water pump is powered by electricity.
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