Old Naledi residents pay more to connect electricity to their houses compared to residents in affluent addresses of Gaborone – it emerged this week.
Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Charles Tibone, told Parliament on Wednesday that ‘electricity connection costs had gone up throughout the country for domestic users, especially in non serviced areas like Old Naledi.
These high connection costs have been caused by the steep rise of base metal prices of copper and aluminum, which metals are used for service customer installations. In some parts of Gaborone where plots are serviced, these costs are absorbed in the cost of the plot.”
Tibone was answering questions from the Member of Parliament for Gaborone South Akanyang Magama.
The opposition Botswana National Front MP had asked if the minister was aware that the cost of connecting electricity for domestic use in Old Naledi was “prohibitive compared to other areas in Gaborone.”
Tibone explained that raw material prices had gone up by more than 40% in the past six months and “this has resulted in steep increases in electrification costs. As the Corporation operates its business on a cost recovery basis the increase in connection costs is regrettably unavoidable.”
