Residents of Munsieville were left with joy on Wednesday, 21 February 2023, when Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi delivered a transformer and a Solar High Mast light to their community.
The residents came out in their numbers to witness the switch on process during the Operation Khanyisa iGauteng. Lesufi was flanked by Mogale City Local Municipality Executive Mayor, Danny Thupane, the MEC responsible for Cogta, Mzi Khumalo, Ward 25 Councillor Thapelo Tshose and City Power officials.
Known for his humbleness and humility, Premier Lesufi apologised to the residents at the Thuto Lefa Secondary School, where the briefing session was held with community members before the switching-on process.
“We want to apologize to the community of Munsieville that some of you spent Christmas in the dark and your children went to school on their first day this year without electricity, but those days are gone now, as electricity will be restored.
“We are going to switch-on the transformer as well as the Solar High Mast lights to fight crime in our area. We are doing this so that we also want to bring our people back into businesses that have closed due to transformers exploding and others tempered with,” Premier Lesufi said.
However, he pleaded with the community to look after the infrastructure and protect them [transformers and Solar High Mast Lights] from criminals.
“If you allow this investment to be vandalised after so much work and resources have been put into it, we won’t come back and repair it. We have other communities that are equally in need of such a facility,” Lesufi cautioned.
Following the address, Lesufi together with his team and some City Power officials took a drive to different extensions in the area to oversee the switch on. The first stop was the switching on of a mini sub-station in Phatsima followed by the energising of the Solar High Mast light in Munsieville Extension 9, in Ward 25.
Executive Mayor Thupane shared his sentiments on the arrival of transformers, alluding to growing crime in the area due to the community being plunged into darkness. He also requested the community to look after the transformers and the high mast lights as they are now the community’s property.
The Switch-on of Transformers and Sola High Mast lights programme is one of the Gauteng Provincial Government many projects that are being rolled-out across Gauteng as part of the Energy Response Plan, in conjunction with the City Power as the implementing agent.
(Insert) Gauteng Premier Lesufi in conversation with Ward Councillor Thapelo Tshose (extreme left), MEC Mzi Khumalo and Executive Mayor Danny Thupane (right) during the switching on of the Solar High Mast Light in Munsieville Extension 9.
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