NamPower set to pull the plug on Bethanie village

A POWER blackout at the village of Bethanie in the South appears inevitable despite desperate efforts by the Village Council to pay its debt to NamPower on Friday.

Village Secretary Willie Humphries says the council paid N$80 000 on Friday to avert a possible power cut following an agreement with the bulk supplier’s management. But Humphries said the council’s relief was short-lived – NamPower told them at the eleventh hour on Friday to settle the account in full or face a power cut at noon today.According to Humphries, NamPower officials said Bethanie, 130 kilometres south of Keetmanshoop, was not immune from the power cuts that recently hit other southern villages such as Gibeon and Kalkrand.He said the council still owed NamPower N$294 000.According to Humphries, the village’s monthly electricity bill previously fluctuated between N$40 000 and N$50 000, but has now shot up to N$80 000.”We stepped up pressure on residents and Government Ministries to collect monies they owed the council in order to manage a last-ditch payment on Friday to avert a possible power cut,” Humphries said.”At the moment the council is grappling with resolving its financial position and it’s likely that we will face a power blackout, unless NamPower alters its stance,” he added.He said residents owed the council N$1,7 million in outstanding water and electricity bills.Humphries blamed social problems such as unemployment and poverty at the tiny village for the poor revenue collection.In addition, he said, the village owed NamWater N$310 000, but the council had so far managed to honour a monthly repayment schedule agreed on with the bulk-water supplier.The Village Secretary said the suspension of subsidies by the Ministry of Local Government had contributed to the council’s weak financial position.According to Humphries, village councils met Local Government Minister John Pandeni last week and it was agreed that Government would resume the subsidy.He said, however, that the Ministry would closely monitor the use of subsidies to prevent them from being spent on anything other than capital projects.Humphries, who took office at the beginning of this month, said the Bethanie Village Council expected to generate revenue from capital projects such as a livestock-breeding project and the setting up of small and medium enterprise (SME) modules.He said the council also planned to drill boreholes to supply 30 per cent of the village’s water needs and reduce the NamWater bill.But Humphries said the council’s relief was short-lived – NamPower told them at the eleventh hour on Friday to settle the account in full or face a power cut at noon today.According to Humphries, NamPower officials said Bethanie, 130 kilometres south of Keetmanshoop, was not immune from the power cuts that recently hit other southern villages such as Gibeon and Kalkrand.He said the council still owed NamPower N$294 000.According to Humphries, the village’s monthly electricity bill previously fluctuated between N$40 000 and N$50 000, but has now shot up to N$80 000.”We stepped up pressure on residents and Government Ministries to collect monies they owed the council in order to manage a last-ditch payment on Friday to avert a possible power cut,” Humphries said.”At the moment the council is grappling with resolving its financial position and it’s likely that we will face a power blackout, unless NamPower alters its stance,” he added.He said residents owed the council N$1,7 million in outstanding water and electricity bills.Humphries blamed social problems such as unemployment and poverty at the tiny village for the poor revenue collection.In addition, he said, the village owed NamWater N$310 000, but the council had so far managed to honour a monthly repayment schedule agreed on with the bulk-water supplier.The Village Secretary said the suspension of subsidies by the Ministry of Local Government had contributed to the council’s weak financial position.According to Humphries, village councils met Local Government Minister John Pandeni last week and it was agreed that Government would resume the subsidy.He said, however, that the Ministry would closely monitor the use of subsidies to prevent them from being spent on anything other than capital projects.Humphries, who took office at the beginning of this month, said the Bethanie Village Council expected to generate revenue from capital projects such as a livestock-breeding project and the setting up of small and medium enterprise (SME) modules.He said the council also planned to drill boreholes to supply 30 per cent of the village’s water needs and reduce the NamWater bill.