Tokelo Rasephei
THE government has stepped up its rural electrification drive, with the Ha Mphukhe and Ha Ntsi villages in Machache constituency (Maseru district), Ha Koali in Mount Moorosi (Quthing district), Malibamats’o (Thaba Tseka) being the latest to benefit from the project.
This was revealed by the Minister of Energy and Meteorology, Mokoto Hloaele, during a ceremony to launch the rural electrification scheme in Ha Mphukhe.
Mr Hloaele said that his ministry had a mandate to ensure every household in Lesotho had access to electricity regardless of whether or not they belonged to their community’s electricity scheme.
He said every family had to pay M2500 for electricity to be installed in their homes, adding those who had not joined such schemes would still pay this amount in instalments whenever they purchased electricity.
Hloaele further said that 250 families in rural Machache would soon have electricity installed in their homes once Lesea Construction Company completed the wiring process.
“M1 670 254 will be used to complete the electricity installation and the running of electrical wires in the two villages of Ha Mphukhe and Ha Ntsi in the Machache constituency”, Mr Hloaele said.
A community representative, Malibe Thamae, thanked the Energy ministry for the electrification project, saying it would help reduce crimes such as burglary and ensure the community, particularly the elderly people lived in peace.
Meanwhile, Mr Hloaele revealed at Ha Koali in Mount Moorosi that the electrification project for 747 households would be implemented at a total cost of M 7 222 501.
He said that government would subsidise the cost to relieve the families so that they only had to contribute M2500 each.
“Our aim is to honour the promises we made to the nation that every family in the country has the right to electricity, clean water and food security. Therefore this is our way of giving back to the community and fulfilling our promises,” Mr Hloaele said.
Phaks Electrical and Construction Company will install the electricity in the village of Ha Koali. The Managing Director of Phaks Electrical Construction, Motsekuoa Phalole, said that they were looking forward to cordial working relations with the beneficiaries. He said they were looking to complete the project by 12 January 2018.
In Malibamats’o, the sum of M 3, 879131.96 will be used to facilitate the wiring process ahead of the installation of electricity in the three villages of Ha Ntsoha, Ha Mpeli and Ha Ts’ehla.
LR Construction, ESCON Engineering and Global Construction will do the wiring.
