Erongo RED to the rescue

Keetmanshoop is preparing for life after the Southern Electricity Company (SELCo) as 20 June 2017 draws nearer and nearer, with talks surfacing that Erongo RED may step in to bail the southern town out of its power predicament.Its CEO Desmond Basson said Erongo RED might step in to help the town out of its energy quandary, but municipal spokesperson, Dawn Kruger, remains tight-lipped.Kruger said that an announcement will be made soon about who the southern town will be working with to provide electricity to its residents. “The Keetmanshoop Municipal Council is not at liberty, at this point, to discuss the details regarding the takeover of electricity from SELCo, because negotiations have not been concluded. The matter is scheduled to be resolved this week, and the media and community will be briefed on the outcome of the takeover process during the week of 12 -16 June 2017,” she said.Basson last week told New Era that negotiations with Erongo RED were at an advanced stage.“SORED is not in existence, and therefore cannot do anything and until it is established, the municipality will take over with the assistance of Erongo RED.”However, Kruger did not confirm nor deny that her town council was indeed in talks with Erongo RED and instead said: “we can however confirm that the Keetmanshoop Municipality will be taking over the distribution of electricity in Keetmanshoop from SELCo from 20 June 2017. The Keetmanshoop Municipal Council will inform the media next week, as soon as negotiations are concluded.”The municipality told Namibian Sun in December last year it would take at least six months to get its house in order for the eventual takeover from SELCo.“The schedule specifies various deliverables that need to be achieved before the envisaged take over date of 1 July 2017, which is the start of our new financial year. This steering committee is committed to the timeous delivery of all deliverables and will do anything in its power to achieve it,” said Kruger at the time.According to her, a committee consisting of the Keetmanshoop municipality management and councillors as well as SELCo representatives, representatives from the Electricity Control Board and NamPower were set up to come up with a takeover strategy in the absence of SELCo. “A successful take-over from the SELCo will depend on meeting deliverables. The municipality plans to take over all services provided by SELCo by 1 July 2017 when the financial year starts. These six months are an interim period to iron out all the technical difficulties,” Kruger said. OGONE TLHAGE

Erongo RED to the rescue

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-19

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Erongo RED to the rescue

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-19

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