Durban - A life without electricity will be a thing of the past for families who have benefited from the roll-out of solar power in informal settlements in Howick.
However, criminals have also found means of making a quick buck by stealing the solar panels from these homes.
In some cases, where perpetrators are known, residents choose to bury their heads in the sand to avoid conflict with the crooks. The uMngeni Municipality announced its solar project last year and, at the time, DA mayor Chris Pappas said the municipality would electrify the Zuzokuhle and Shiyabazali informal settlements at a cost of over R4 million.
“The project, funded through a national programme, aims to improve living conditions. There are 522 units planned for the settlement, which includes a panel, battery pack, six lights and a cellphone charger,” Pappas said.
Noma Khumalo, who has been a resident of Shiyabazali since 2012, and lives in a three-room shack with her husband and children, told the Sunday Tribune that her family started using electricity for the first time a few months ago.
She said her daughter, who completed matric in 2019, had difficulty studying for exams using candlelight, but that now she was a student at the University of Zululand and would be making frequent visits home since there was now electricity available.
“Before, we were forced to travel to town and pay R5 to charge our phones, and the battery power would not last. We used three candles daily, and paraffin is expensive. I am unemployed, and we could not afford it,” she said.
For security reasons, Khumalo no longer keeps her solar panel on her roof, and ensures – when leaving the house for longer periods – it is secured inside her property. “I have to take my unit inside, as some neighbours have lost theirs.
To curb the theft, ward councillors have suggested that we form CPF (Community Policing Forum) groups, but our men are lazy,” she said. Khumalo said her family was grateful for the change, and that her children no longer dreaded bathing in the dark every morning before going to school.
“Even those who drink (alcohol) no longer have to use matches and candles, and this prevents tragedies,” she said. Thandekile Mbanjwa, who has lived in Shiyabazali since 2009, said many had died over the years due to house fires within the informal settlement, but the community now felt much safer. She said her unit was installed in November, and that life had been better since.
“I am grateful for this change. We even have street lights, and this has helped reduce criminality,” she said. Prior to being given solar units, residents were taught about functionality and safety measures. Some community members had been selected and equipped with further knowledge, and now assisted others when issues arose.
Zuzokuhle ward councillor HN Mabaso said some of these residents had been illegally connected to the grid, and live wires posed a danger to many lives. “The area is dark and has many trees, but there are now high mast lights and we have done away with illegal connections,” he said.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE