LIGHT AT LAST
Jamakata gets electricity for the first time since Independence
“Electricity is not a luxury anymore, but a necessity “- Moagi Ministry of Mineral Resources Green Technology and Energy Security has set a new target of 90 percent electrification of rural areas across Botswana.
This comes after the ministry surpassed the initial 66 percent target it had set. The Rural Electrification Drive recently reached Jamakata, in Central Botswana.
Jamakata was the only remaining village in the area that was not electrified and there was great jubilation as the excited villagers experienced electricity in their area for the first time since independence.
Minister of Mineral Resources Green Technology and Energy Security Lefoko Moagi said the project had been delayed by the Covid-19 lockdowns but since it continued, it had registered impressive successes, even surpassing targets.
The ongoing Rural Electrification Drive, which continues to light up many villages across Botswana, most of which are off the National electricity grid, has reached more than 70 villages, with a few more expected to be connected by end of 2021.
Botswana is one of the developing countries that has been lagging behind in rural electrification and is finally catching up.
A recent report by International Energy Agency (IEA) World Energy Outlook indicates that sub-Saharan Africa is most affected by lack of electricity in the continent.
“Electricity consumption in Africa, on both a total and per-person basis, is relatively low but it has tremendous growth potential”. The report indicates that countries in the south part of Africa had the options of connecting customers to existing grids through grid extension, setting up localised distribution systems (mini-grids) and installing standalone generation sources.
Botswana has worked with different stakeholders to establish the two former options, which are essentially cost effective. The IEA World Energy Outlook report also indicates that only 65.1 percent of rural areas in developing countries had access to electricity in 2018.
The report indicated that electricity alone did not create all the conditions for economic growth, but it is an essential basic human need and important for economic activity.
“Access to electricity improves socio-economic conditions in developing countries through its influence on key components of poverty, namely, health, education, income and environment.”
Minister Moagi reiterated that electrifying villages would help in basic amnesties in homesteads and also bolster small businesses that would help villagers improve their standard of living.
“Electricity is not a luxury anymore, but a necessity because it improves the quality and standard of living”. He also noted that spreading electricity to rural areas would also help improve health and education facilities and services.
With regard to the latter, electricity access would improve efforts to ensure digitisation in schools across the country, Minister of Basic Education, Fidelis Molao has indicated.
“Digitisation is an important component in enhanced educational outcomes as the whole world transitions to an IT based society.
“Electricity access makes it easier to complete the National Digitisation project, which will ensure that all schools across the country are equipped with the latest technology and Internet access, in order to enhance teaching and learning outcomes.” In March 2021, Minister of Basic Education made a request for P111, 000, 000 of which P60, 000, 000 would go towards the ongoing Schools Digitisation project, with the excess P50, 000, 000 being for computer equipment for junior secondary schools, expansion of Local Area Network and the Education Management Information System.