On Tuesday 1 September 2015, Mayor Nicolette Botha-Guthrie had occasion to brighten up the lives of those who reside in Kleinmond’s informal settlement, Overhills, when she “turned on the lights", so to speak.

Quite a while back, members of this community raised their concerns about having electrical appliances but no electricity with their Ward Councillor, Lisel Krige, who took it upon herself to make their dream a reality by canvassing support for the electrification of Overhills.

Overhills was added to the municipality’s electrification programme, and when funds became available in the 2014/15 financial year, the project was launched in October 2014 and completed in August this year. At a cost of R2,5 million, around 376 households are now electrified.

In her address on the day, Mayor Botha-Guthrie pointed out that this was no easy feat. Several challenges had to be overcome – one being that houses standing under the existing Eskom overhead lines had to be relocated first. The lay-out of the terrain and the placement of the existing houses also complicated the installation of the new electrical overhead network considerably.

Her biggest concern, though, was the safety of the residents and especially the children during the construction period, the Mayor said.  “Through various meetings with Cllr  Krige, area manager Desmond Lakey, staff from the housing department and community leaders, we nevertheless managed to overcome these challenges, and I especially owe my gratitude to the residents for their positive attitude and patience during the construction period.”

She also thanked the consultant, Aurecon, and the contractor, Adenco, for their dedication and positive input towards the completion of this project.

All illegal leads and unsafe connections that were supplying electricity to these houses have been removed, and residents now have the benefit of a safe and reliable electricity network. In parting, the Mayor cautioned all beneficiaries to “make sure that everybody in the house uses electricity sparingly, responsibly and safely.  It makes our daily living very easy, but can destroy lives and property if it is not used with caution,” she warned.

Noluthando Zweni

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