Residents threaten to tear up SELCo contract

DISTRESSED residents of Keetmanshoop have mandated their town council to cancel the contentious contract signed between the Southern Electricity Company (SELCo) and the previous town councillors.

Close to 500 aggrieved residents attended a meeting on Thursday where they were briefed on the reasons for a 7,5 per cent electricity tariff hike. However, the information triggered dissatisfaction and protest over the escalating costs with residents responding that they “don’t want SELCo”.Angry residents were relieved when Councillor Moses Titus promised them that the town would seek legal advice to review the contents of the controversial contract and thereafter act accordingly.”Now that we have the mandate from the residents, we will not rest until the SELCo issue is resolved,” said Titus.”They (SELCo) are parasites sucking the blood of the pensioners to earn huge profits,” the protesters said.It was also revealed at the meeting that SELCo had implemented the electricity hike without prior approval from the town council.The Mayor of Keetmanshoop, Simon Petrus Tiboth, who chaired the meeting, and the Managing Director of SELCo, Allen van Zyl, who was asked to explain the tariff increase, both claimed the council did not ‘rubber stamp’ the tariff hike.Tiboth informed the community that SELCo had not presented his council with a tariff increase proposal.However, Van Zyl was quick to lay the blame at the town council’s feet.”We made several futile attempts to arrange a meeting with the council in order to offer our electricity tariff increase proposal to them,” he said.Van Zyl said councils like Windhoek had already announced increases of their tariffs and SELCo was falling behind.On the question of whether SELCo, the council or the consumers should absorb the increment, Van Zyl played his cards close to his chest by saying that either SELCo or the town council should absorb it.Van Zyl further pointed out that the increase would be reversed if the council declined the tariff hike proposal.His company would also then credit consumers.The aggrieved residents also accused SELCo of removing municipal property including two electricity transformers to neighbouring South Africa without consent from the council and demanded that the council scrutinise its asset list and brief them at the next community meeting.Local Councillor Fiina Elago urged SELCo to “come clean and clear” by explaining its aims and objectives to the community at large.”If SELCo had operated in good faith, the residents would not have been up in arms against them,” she said.However, the information triggered dissatisfaction and protest over the escalating costs with residents responding that they “don’t want SELCo”.Angry residents were relieved when Councillor Moses Titus promised them that the town would seek legal advice to review the contents of the controversial contract and thereafter act accordingly.”Now that we have the mandate from the residents, we will not rest until the SELCo issue is resolved,” said Titus.”They (SELCo) are parasites sucking the blood of the pensioners to earn huge profits,” the protesters said.It was also revealed at the meeting that SELCo had implemented the electricity hike without prior approval from the town council.The Mayor of Keetmanshoop, Simon Petrus Tiboth, who chaired the meeting, and the Managing Director of SELCo, Allen van Zyl, who was asked to explain the tariff increase, both claimed the council did not ‘rubber stamp’ the tariff hike.Tiboth informed the community that SELCo had not presented his council with a tariff increase proposal.However, Van Zyl was quick to lay the blame at the town council’s feet.”We made several futile attempts to arrange a meeting with the council in order to offer our electricity tariff increase proposal to them,” he said.Van Zyl said councils like Windhoek had already announced increases of their tariffs and SELCo was falling behind.On the question of whether SELCo, the council or the consumers should absorb the increment, Van Zyl played his cards close to his chest by saying that either SELCo or the town council should absorb it.Van Zyl further pointed out that the increase would be reversed if the council declined the tariff hike proposal.His company would also then credit consumers.The aggrieved residents also accused SELCo of removing municipal property including two electricity transformers to neighbouring South Africa without consent from the council and demanded that the council scrutinise its asset list and brief them at the next community meeting.Local Councillor Fiina Elago urged SELCo to “come clean and clear” by explaining its aims and objectives to the community at large.”If SELCo had operated in good faith, the residents would not have been up in arms against them,” she said.