More than 2 000 households in four rural villages under the Thulamela Municipality will benefit from the R7 million electrification projects, which have already started. The official site hand-over of the projects took place at the respective villages on Thursday and Friday last week.

The projects at Thukhutha, near Thohoyandou (37 households), Mavambe, near Malamulele (963 households), Maphophe, also near Malamulele (418 households) and Botsoleni, near Kruger National Park (600 households) will be completed at the end of March.

Except the Botsoleni project, which is funded by the Provincial government, the other three villages could not wait for the government to provide them with electricity, but instead, they took matters upon themselves and contributed money to electrify their households. They have engaged themselves in an electrification partnership with the Thulamela Municipality.

It costs R3 500 to electrify a single household. Each household contributed R1 000 and the municipality footed the bill for the remaining R2 500.

The spokesperson for the Thulamela Municipality, Nndwamato Tshiila, said the project is part of his municipality’s electrification plan which aims to bring electricity to even to the poorest of the poor. He said the municipality has been engaged in countless completed electrification projects which have already borne fruits in several villages under its jurisdiction.

The project manager, Mr Errol van Niekerk, of Mphaphuli Consulting, said the poles have already been delivered to the villages and the projects will be completed at the end of March. He said the projects would be handed to Eskom for ownership and maintenance upon completion.

One of the traditional leaders whose village is a beneficiary, Headman Mmbangiseni Thukhutha of Thukhutha village, said he was happy because the project has created temporary job opportunities for his subjects.

“The project will also boost the economic development of my village since many people will be able to start small businesses because of the availability of electricity. Learners will be able to read their books with ease and this will also be a weapon against illiteracy. Lights also assist in the fight against crime and our women will no longer be raped when they fetch wood in the forest…”