Unrepentant NamPower digs in its heels
NamPower yesterday said that while it received an instruction from Cabinet and the finance minister not to continue with the suspension of power supply to local authorities - which owe the power utility over N$1 billion - its board ignored the directive.
The utility confirmed it will go ahead with its radical debt-collection plan, which involves disconnecting defaulting towns, an exercise that kicked in on Monday.
All the northern towns that get their power from Nored were affected, along with Rehoboth, Mariental, Karasburg, Aranos, Maltahöhe, Gibeon, Bethanie, Tses, Koes, Leonardville, Berseba, Kalkrand and Stampriet.
"The board and management have decided to continue with the plan because it is in the best interest of the financial sustainability of the company, and for the sustainability of electricity supply in the country," NamPower insisted.
It added that it has repeatedly tried to collect the debt over the years, without success, and that the last option is the restriction on supply that is now being applied.
The plan involves limiting power supply in several phases, with Phase 1 now applied for two hours on Mondays from around 18:00. The plan sets out nine phases with the ninth phase leaving the affected towns in the dark for eight hours a day, seven days a week.
Yesterday's release follows Cabinet apparently deciding last Tuesday that NamPower should not turn off the electricity. However, a corresponding letter from finance minister Ipumbu Shiimi was only written and sent on Monday.
Shiimi also sent copies of his letter to energy minister Tom Alweendo, and Erastus Uutoni, the minister of urban and rural development.
The utility confirmed it will go ahead with its radical debt-collection plan, which involves disconnecting defaulting towns, an exercise that kicked in on Monday.
All the northern towns that get their power from Nored were affected, along with Rehoboth, Mariental, Karasburg, Aranos, Maltahöhe, Gibeon, Bethanie, Tses, Koes, Leonardville, Berseba, Kalkrand and Stampriet.
"The board and management have decided to continue with the plan because it is in the best interest of the financial sustainability of the company, and for the sustainability of electricity supply in the country," NamPower insisted.
It added that it has repeatedly tried to collect the debt over the years, without success, and that the last option is the restriction on supply that is now being applied.
The plan involves limiting power supply in several phases, with Phase 1 now applied for two hours on Mondays from around 18:00. The plan sets out nine phases with the ninth phase leaving the affected towns in the dark for eight hours a day, seven days a week.
Yesterday's release follows Cabinet apparently deciding last Tuesday that NamPower should not turn off the electricity. However, a corresponding letter from finance minister Ipumbu Shiimi was only written and sent on Monday.
Shiimi also sent copies of his letter to energy minister Tom Alweendo, and Erastus Uutoni, the minister of urban and rural development.
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