Gobabis electricity infrastructure bemoaned

The National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) has bemoaned the electricity infrastructure at Gobabis, saying it is so old that it can collapse at any time.

The town’s municipality has however denied the claims, saying infighting and a difference of opinion in terms of its spending priorities are the reasons it has not been able to resolve constant power interruptions, adding that it is a matter that can be resolved without the involvement of third parties and that the purchase of electrical infrastructure is identified as the problem.

Taking issue with the town’s lack of management of electricity infrastructure, the party said as much as 47% of the town’s electricity infrastructure was old.

"The status of the electrical network is dilapidated to the extent that 47% of the network is 30–50 years old, meaning the network can collapse at any time," Gobabis constituency coordinator for the town, Otniel Mbaeva, wrote.

To solve the town’s power woes, the town approached the ministry of finance’s Procurement Policy Unit (PPU) for the provision of power infrastructure, and among the recommendations was the appointment of a consulting engineer to try and solve the power situation.

"The bid requirements were complied with, and the procurement committee convened a meeting and recommended to the accounting officer (CEO) the procurement of the electrical consulting engineer. The engineer was issued with a formal award letter," Mbaeva said.

Consulting engineer stopped from working

Despite the appointment of the third party, the consulting engineer could not get to work to try and solve the town’s power woes, it was alleged.

"We could only submit the tariff application and commence with the procurement of the PPE since the consultant has been put on hold illegally. We have it on good authority that the consultant was verbally [and] illegally informed to put his services on hold," Mbaeva claimed.

All attempts to get municipal officials to cooperate with the consulting engineer were ignored, Mbaeva said.

"The consultant pursued the rehabilitation of the electrical network by writing numerous emails, WhatsApps and phone calls to the relevant personnel, but to no avail," he claimed.

The party said it was important that the town’s electricity problems be dealt with.

"We demand that the rehabilitation of the electricity network be done as a matter of urgency since this is an emergency for Gobabis. We want the necessary and unending sabotage to stop with immediate effect, and we request the cooperation of all relevant stakeholders for the betterment of Gobabis," he said.

Allegations untrue

Gobabis municipality spokesperson Frederick Ueitele, however, denied the allegations, saying town officials in the electrical department had requested the procurement and installation of a secondary power cable that would alleviate the pressure of an existing cable.

Numerous requests had also been made for padlocks to lock meter boxes, which now stand open, but these were not responded to, Ueitele said.

"The municipality has been trying since 2020 to procure cabling; the municipality has been working with one bulk cable instead of two. The finance manager was supposed to order but always said there was no money," Ueitele said of the need to upgrade the town’s electricity network.

Ueitele also claimed that the municipality’s electricity department was not consulted on the appointment of the third party, despite maintaining the town’s electricity infrastructure problem-free in the past.

"Our electricity network is not old; we had damaged cables that were never repaired. We sent requests, but they were ignored. Finance did not buy these things – if they complied, it would not have been like that," he said.

Members of the community were also being misinformed, while the appointment of the consulting engineer was not done by the book, Ueitele claimed.

"The electricity network of Gobabis does not have the problem as it is being portrayed," he said.

"The appointment of the consultant was not according to the book. If finance and the electricity department worked together, there would be no problem. If all of the things the electrical department wanted were procured, there would not be a problem," he added.