26 Nov 2018

Parliament on Friday adopted a motion requesting government to review the electricity connection radius, relating to the national connection standard charge.

Tabling the motion recently, Member of Parliament for Gabane-Mmankgodi, Major General Pius Mokgware, said the motion that was coming to Parliament for the second time, was initially agreed upon, but was deferred with the hope that government would implement the idea.

He reminded the house that it was agreed that if government did not implement the motion by June 2018, the motion would be re-tabled in Parliament.

MP Mokgware said electricity connection was expensive for the youth, first time owners, including people in the low income bracket.

He said the national electricity standard cost  was only uniform, for residence within the boundaries of a locality electrified network supply area and those outside the radius were suffering because they were required to pay more money and or required to purchase transformer themselves which “cost arm and leg”.

He said the critical issue was that there was need to review the 500-metre radius and that Batswana needed electricity.

MP Mokgware was of the view that electricity was important in todays’ world, adding that despite efforts by the government to improve access to electricity, there was still a challenge of low numbers of household connections, which he attributed mostly to high costs of connection outside the metres specified.

Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Mr Eric Molale opposed the motion saying “it was redundant”.

He said what MP Mokgware was suggesting was already in place.

Minister Molale argued that P250 million had already been dispersed to electrify villages, also adding that he had requested additional funding for the rural electrification programme.

Furthermore, he stated that there were 114 additional transformers that were to be installed in certain villages to curb high costs and therefore he was of the view that the motion be rejected.

Member of Parliament for Selibe Phikwe West, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse, concurred with the motion saying it was timely since there was need for government to provide basic amenities.

MP Keorapetse pointed out that it was time that electricity was considered as a basic human right, adding that most importantly besides accessibility, there should be reliability.

He said although the executive claim that they were doing something about it, there were people in different constituencies that still experienced exorbitant cost of electricity connection because of the issue of radius.

He said the standard fee was P5 000 for 500 metres saying the standard fee of P5 000 must remain, regardless of the radius.

He said electricity was a basic necessity and government should bear the cost of taking infrastructure to the people.

He urged government to implement and make access to other basic necessities besides electricity, such as water and roads available for the people. ENDS