Keetmans residents fired up about power

KEETMANSHOOP residents plan to stage a protest march to the Town Council’s offices tomorrow after a child was electrocuted in the Tseiblaagte residential area.

The residents’ spokesperson, Carl Christians, yesterday told The Namibian that eight-year-old Mathias Keister died after touching a live wire near an electricity distribution box. Christians claimed that the town’s electricity grid was “life threatening”.In an earlier interview, Southern Electricity Company (SELCo) Operations Manager Abraham Kukuri said the boy was electrocuted because a “protective device” inside a private yard malfunctioned.According to Christians, residents will also complain about poor service delivery by SELCo, which is responsible for operating and maintaining the town’s electricity supply.In addition, the residents will ask the Town Council why pensioners still have to pay basic municipal charges after the council decided to waive the charges.Christians claimed that the town’s electricity grid was “life threatening”.In an earlier interview, Southern Electricity Company (SELCo) Operations Manager Abraham Kukuri said the boy was electrocuted because a “protective device” inside a private yard malfunctioned.According to Christians, residents will also complain about poor service delivery by SELCo, which is responsible for operating and maintaining the town’s electricity supply.In addition, the residents will ask the Town Council why pensioners still have to pay basic municipal charges after the council decided to waive the charges.