By Surihe Gaomas WINDHOEK With the mushrooming of informal shacks in the capital, illegal electricity connections remain a growing challenge for the City of Windhoek. It appears that the vast majority of residents stay in Katutura, with more of them residing in the squatter settlement areas like Goreangab, Greenwell Matongo and Okahandja Park located on the outskirts of the city. Yet, with this growing urban population, currently standing at over 250ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ 000 in Windhoek alone, the lack of electrical infrastructure in informal areas leads to residents engaging in illegal connection of electrical wires. Manager of Corporate Communications at the City of Windhoek, Ndangi Katoma, informed New Era that with the current desire for people to also enjoy electrical power, the need for such a service is also increasing. “The electrical infrastructure in the informal areas is not in place, and this therefore promotes residents to ‘buy’ power from the nearest served areas to enjoy the benefits of electrical infrastructure,” said Katoma, adding that this situation then creates the problem of illegal and dangerous wiring of electrical lines. When the New Era news team visited some of the squatter settlements, one could see most of the shacks – especially those closer to formal houses – linked with electrical wires to the houses. It appears that the commonly-known backyard shacks that are used for running shebeen businesses, are also powered that way. Those engaging in such practices say it is their way of making ends meet. “I want to make a living, so I must run my shebeen with electricity,” said one shebeen-owner who did not want to be named. Others sharing the same sentiment refused to comment any further. It is, however, apparent that informal housing structures, and in particular shebeens, will buy electricity at exorbitant prices from legally-supplied houses – so-called “suppliers” – for the operation of household lights, fridges and televisions. While some opt to go the illegal route, others choose the more risky way by buying their own generators to have the much-needed power, which many think is now a luxury only for those who have money. “We also want to have proper ‘krag’ (electricity) like those staying in Katutura and in town. I bought my own generator because I wanted my children to also enjoy watching television,” said Daniel Mooibie, who stays with ten family members in his shack in the Okahandja Park area. “We also wish for electricity one day,” he added further. However, the Windhoek Municipality has been doing its part. So as not to leave these residents completely in the dark, it has set up floodlights and, where possible, street lights in some squatter settlement areas. “Due to the non-provision of electricity to low-income erven, the City has come under increasing pressure to provide at least public lighting in settlement areas to curb criminal activities,” explained Katoma. Furthermore, City officials have carried out regular inspections by removing illegal wiring. This exercise, however, is not always successful as residents who have become dependent on electricity soon replace the removed wiring. Yet, as much as people engage in this illegal act, they should bear in mind that the consequences of this situation can be fatal. “These illegal connections have already directly caused the loss of human life and could also be the cause of many household fires within informal settlements,” said Katoma, adding that some of the wiring is also still visible on the ground as they criss-cross each other from one shack to the next. Some people have now become discreet and are hiding the wires by digging small underground trenches and covering them up with sand. Culprits caught doing this have to pay a penalty of N$150. The City also charges a service charge for switching off the electrical connection and reconnecting it after the fine is paid, thus resulting in a total charge of N$757,20. In a nutshell, as long as the squatter problem prevails in the city, the challenge of addressing illegal wiring connections still remains a headache at the end of the day.