Community development and social upliftment are parallels in each government’s quest to uplift poverty-stricken areas.
The betterment of people in energy-deprived areas stays at the forefront of my aspirations as a renewable energy consultant and entrepreneur, as well as an advocate for the socio-economic development of our people.
Throughout my career as an energy consultant on various electrification projects, I have grown to witness and experience highs and lows in the fight against energy poverty in rural and informal areas, especially those that would not be connected to the national grid soon.
One of the key aspects I hold dearly is trust and accountability, which I believe are the pillars to good governance practice for community electrification projects in any organisation.
These are non-negotiable qualities that need to be rooted deeply in community leaders and decision-makers if we are to realise a sustainable future for energy-deprived areas for the incoming generations.
I have had the honour of working on numerous rural electrification projects, and I have noticed a striking aspect in remote areas that needs to be addressed, and that is good governance – the process according to which decisions are made.
I have noticed that in some rural areas, corrupt practices are the result of informal decision-making.
As a result, inequalities remain for those who need equality the most.
For any community to thrive economically and socially, they need eight major characteristics, which are consensus oriented, accountable, transparent and responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive, and follow the rule of law.
These attributes ensure that corruption is minimised and that the voices of the most vulnerable are kept into consideration when decisions are made.
LESSONS LEARNT
This opinion piece aims to highlight some of the lessons learnt in rural electrification.
In one of my electrification projects, I have learnt that good governance is key, apart from having good intentions on paper.
Despite sound technical designs and real community demand, the project was undermined by opaque financial flows and informal side deals and weak governance arrangements.
The result was not only a breach of agreements, but betrayed community expectations and wasted effort and trust where it mattered the most.
This, however, is not an attack on any single project or organisation, but rather an opportunity to express lessons learnt for the improvement of future electrification projects in remote areas.
The purpose of this article is to foster a legacy forged in transparency, accountability and trust.
In this modern era, it is vital to have formalised agreements in place in remote areas, since verbal agreements alone can cause ambiguity – even among trusted colleagues.
A written agreement should be set out with clear expectations and responsibility with dispute resolution steps in place, and these should be made public among all stakeholders.
There should also be an agreed-upon audit process by independent sources.
Rural areas need to publish procurement and cession agreements, since informal agreements tend to make pragmatic decisions without the acknowledgment of the entire council.
Cessions and discounting agreements are legal instruments that need to be understood by stakeholders who make critical decisions.
Therefore, capacity building should be a prerequisite to educate community members and stakeholders.
Basic financial education management training is critical for community members to manage their financial inflows and outflows. Knowledge of reconciling of invoices is important so that accountability profits everyone.
Encourage the involvement of the private sector to advise on policy implementation and to promote public participation in governance and service delivery.
Remedies should be implemented immediately, when things go wrong on both administration and legal fronts.
For example, when there is credible evidence of the diversion of funds, or if fraud emerges, these institutions must act swiftly, since slow bureaucratic responses allow for corruption to fall by the wayside.
Speed and transparency are crucial in providing quick remedies for retribution.
These are many lessons of misconduct which should not be taken lightly.
Community-based electrification is one of the most promising engines to drive community upliftment, both economically and socially.
However, hopes are fragile and it solely depends on people doing the right thing in the right way.
People who see these atrocities and remain silent will be seen as complicit and will only encourage the arrogance of the corrupt to persist.
In conclusion, let us foster a culture of transparency and accountability so that we ensure the lights stay on for our future brothers and sisters.
– Lilongeni Unoovene is a renewable energy consultant and social entrepreneur.
