SWAZILAND Electricity Company (SEC) Managing Director Sengiphile Simelane has said by year 2019, Swaziland should have achieved self-sufficiency levels in power generation.
Simelane said this when addressing parliament portfolio committees of the ministry of natural resources and energy yesterday morning.
E88 millon spent on rural electrification
AT LEAST E88 million was spent on the rural electrification programme during the 2014/15 financial year.
Natural Resources and Energy Minister Jabulile Mashwama said the programme benefitted a total of 279 electricity group schemes, drawn from all the four regions. About 7 623 homesteads benefitted from it. Funding for the programme came from the republic of China on Taiwan, the ministry of natural resources, the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and the Micro Projects unit.
She said rural electrification was essential in providing infrastructure in rural areas, thus enhancing the economic lives of the citizens of the country.
She said the rural electrification projects had over the years significantly improved the accessibility of electricity to many rural communities.
This was during a meeting between the management of the company, ministry and portfolio committees.
Electricity
Simelane said by 2019 Swaziland should be able to generate enough power to export to neighbouring countries.
He said currently, access to electricity stands at 70 percent.
According to Simelane, Swaziland has 134 000 customers and generates 302 GWh which is 20 percent of the total supply.
The company imports 860GWh, which is 80 percent of the country’s power supply.
He said the country needed about 223 Mw of electricity in order to be self sufficient while it has the capacity to generate 69Mw.
