NamPower pulls the plug on Tses village

NAMPOWER yesterday pulled the plug on the village of Tses in the South because the Village Council has not paid its electricity bill for the past the four months.

The electricity bill has now hit N$195 000, The Namibian was informed. The Village Council’s Chairman, Petrus Witbooi, yesterday confirmed that NamPower had cut the electricity supply to the town.Witbooi acknowledged that the Council was unable to pay because of financial constraints.”We and even the Government are aware that village councils countrywide cannot cope with the high electricity and water bills,” he said.He partly blamed non-payment for municipal services by the villagers, especially civil servants, for the council’s failure to make ends meet.”Only pensioners living at the village are willing and pay their council bills on time, but we are battling to receive monthly payments from Government departments and civil servants for services rendered to them,” he said.He pledged to the villagers that the council would try its utmost best to have the electricity supply reconnected within the next two days.”Our Village Secretary as we speak now is busy negotiating with NamPower in attempts to have the electricity supply back in the shortest possible time,” he said.According to the Village Chairman, the bulk water supplier, NamWater, has also served the Council with a reminder to pay its bill of close to N$200 000 or face a water cut.The Village Council’s Chairman, Petrus Witbooi, yesterday confirmed that NamPower had cut the electricity supply to the town.Witbooi acknowledged that the Council was unable to pay because of financial constraints.”We and even the Government are aware that village councils countrywide cannot cope with the high electricity and water bills,” he said.He partly blamed non-payment for municipal services by the villagers, especially civil servants, for the council’s failure to make ends meet.”Only pensioners living at the village are willing and pay their council bills on time, but we are battling to receive monthly payments from Government departments and civil servants for services rendered to them,” he said.He pledged to the villagers that the council would try its utmost best to have the electricity supply reconnected within the next two days.”Our Village Secretary as we speak now is busy negotiating with NamPower in attempts to have the electricity supply back in the shortest possible time,” he said.According to the Village Chairman, the bulk water supplier, NamWater, has also served the Council with a reminder to pay its bill of close to N$200 000 or face a water cut.