Johannesburg – Eskom said on Monday that it has exceeded its electrification target in North West province by connecting 19 407 houses for the current 2016/17 financial year.
Initially Eskom had planned to connect only 19 285. North West Eskom operating unit general manager, Azwi Mamanyuha, said that Eskom had provided electricity to 1 400 households to the community of Kgabalatsane village in the Madibeng Local Municipality.
Mamanyuha said Madibeng Local Municipality was one of the municipalities paying on time in the province while others across the country were experiencing electricity cut-offs.
"This municipality is complying with payments of electricity, they paid us well last year and they are still continuing to do so even this year," Mamanyuha said.
"We are moving ahead and will continue to connect households, we will not be able to do so if our municipalities do not pay for their electricity."
North West Premier, Supra Mahumapelo, commended Eskom for providing electricity to Kgabalatsane village, saying that the dignity of the people had been restored yet again.
"After waiting patiently we are happy to announce that the people of Kgabalatsane now have electricity and this is because of the good work that Eskom working together with government continues to do in our province," Mahumapelo said.
"We commend Eskom for the hard work they are putting in ensuring that few communities in our province without electricity get connected." Mahumapelo said in his visit to the community last year, residents had complained that they were suffering because of not having electricity.
He then promised that the provincial government working with Eskom would ensure that in the beginning of 2017 there was electricity in their area.
"This is more than the connection, it means that our children who are at school can now do their school work even at night without hassle and it also means that businesses activities can start because electricity means everything," Mahumapelo said.
"So we are happy that our government continues to achieve a lot in as far as electricity is concerned and Eskom must be highly applauded in this regard."