The festive season is looking brighter for residents of the Jabula informal settlement in Philippi who are being connected to the electricity grid. The City is committed to doing more to make life safer and easier for residents and unlocking opportunities.
‘It is truly special to be switching on the electricity for these Philippi residents. We are visiting Jabula today to switch on the electricity for residents of the informal settlement. It is located on privately owned land. The private land owner recently granted permission to the City to provide electricity to the 63 informal structures.
‘Residents in this settlement can now feel more secure with access to the basic electricity services which the City provides. They can look forward to a festive season of light, one they will likely never forget. It is so meaningful for us to be here to help make this become a reality for these families.
‘In City-supplied areas and on City-owned land, where it is possible to do so, almost all older informal settlements in the metro have been connected to electricity. These connections to the electricity grid include formal subsidised housing, informal settlements, infills and backyarder connections. In the 2022/23 financial year, the City spent R23 million and electrified approximately 2 440 households,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Councillor Beverley van Reenen.
