09/05/2026
MPOTJOANE COMMITS OVER M23 MILLION FOR MASALENG ELECTRIFICATION PROJECT
Berea, May 08---On his first assignment, the newly appointed Minister Energy and Mining, Mr. Lejone Mpotjoane has on Friday launched a M23,466,109,00 million, rural electrification project at Masaleng in Ts’oana-Makhulo constituency where 800 households from ten villages are expected to benefit.
Allocated a timeframe of 52 weeks, the project is undertaken by a local company namely Arabian Electrical company.
In his remarks, Minister of Energy and Mining reaffirmed that access to services is a fundamental human right for everyone and no one is supposed to buy services, but it is the role of the government to deliver services where they are mostly needed.
Mr. Mpotjoane further congratulated Ts’oana-Makhulo MP when finally his people are going to get electricity for free, despite having collected the money through their local scheme.
He pointed out that the primary objective of the government to have tasked Arabian electricity company, it is to ensure that it deliver services at an allocated duration, adding that where the need arises; it will have to source its human resource among the locals as part of community empowerment.
Mr. Mpotjoane further urged the community to take a leading responsibility of safe guarding such development, adding that they should maintain good working relations with the contractor for work efficiency.
He also highlighted that the government is mandated to ensure that by 2030 every household and communities have access to electricity, citing that lowlands places were supposed to have been electrified long time ago.
Additionally, Minister of Energy and Mining said they will soon visit Ha-Koali with expansion of rural electrification project targeting villages which includes Pitsaneng Ha-Moshati, Khano and Lits’ilong.
He stressed that with this regime, service delivery for people is not about buying favors from them, but it is their duty to ensure that that people have access to their human rights.
Minister of Energy added that in the long term run, as a country they should be in a position to generate enough electricity to meet the local demand, highlighting that the mountainous terrain of the country should be to our advantage on power generation.
“If we can maximize on power generation, electricity costs will be much lower and exporting some to other countries”, he said.
He said the country has a capacity of improving its power generation and in that regard they will be able to attract foreign investment, adding that electricity is on high demand particularly in the digital technology era where countries are building their own data centers.
“Local weather conditions are favorable as compared to other countries, and with the water melting from the snow capped mountains can be used to generate electricity”, he explained.
He further urged the company assigned for rural electrification project to observe the time frame, but it also has to perfect the work.
In conclusion, Minister of Energy and Mining further strongly urged Ts’oana-Makhulo communities to maintain unity, citing that during such project tenure they should be proactive by establishing livelihoods development projects which can sustain them even beyond the rural electrification project.
Ts’oana-Makhulo Member of Parliament Mr. Teboho Nots’i said Masaleng Electoral Division (ED) has been on his neck in dire need of electricity and today marks a milestone of development within the constituency.
Mr. Nots’I highlighted that within their constituency, there is a high voltage line of 33KVA which pass through their villages from Metolong to Teyateyaneng sub station, but such line sparked a community outcry.
“In deed it was high voltage which can be dangerous for people and their property, but few houses were highly possibly to be connected through proper and safe procedures”, he explained.
However, Ts’oana-Makhulo MP indicated that it was going to be very costly to source electricity from such line because they had to erect sub station or transformers to step down its high voltage, hence it was difficult to connect people from such line.
He added that the only alternative was to go to Ha-Mantai where there is an already active line of 11KVA, but today their dreams has finally turned into reality after being promised for many times.
Mr. Nots’I assured the community that poles are already in place at nearby village, ready to be erected, adding that very soon they at Ha-Mpusi they are going station a huge water tank for clean water supply, and upon the completion of the electricity project; they are going power up the nearby communication tower for sustainable signal.
Furthermore, he said last week they conducted a site visit at Ha-Koali where a target is to electrify 11 villages, moreover at Moeling to Sefikeng road they will officially introduce the contractor to rehabilitate such road.
When expressing his happiness, Masaleng ED Community Councilor Mr. Thibello Kanei said they strongly acknowledge God for finally responding to their need after some years of sufferings and making uncountable visits to the Ministry of Energy in request for electricity connection.
Mr. Kanei indicated that Masaleng community has for years the endured the pain of living in darkness of poor services, but today they wholeheartedly welcome some gift.
Sharing the same sentiments, Vice Chair person of Motanasela Community Council Mrs. Mamatlotlo Tlali said their lives are going to change forever, adding that they are very thankful and she further requested the government to consider Molibetsane ED with power connection.
Representing Masaleng Electricity Scheme, Secretary Mrs. Maseqeka Thuhloane said they have been living in miserables and darkness for a long time, but today they are filled with happiness.
Mrs. Thuhloane said their mobile phones batteries have finished as a results of being recharged with solar panels, but they can feel sigh for relief.
Another villagers, Mrs. Mamoqoachela Molepa said all credit should be given to their leaders for making electricity their top priority, citing that getting light energy out of candles was the most difficult issue more especially for their schooling children.
Mrs. Molepa said for now that electricity is on the verge, they strongly plead with the government to now focus on rehabilitating their access road, highlighting that under the current damaged road, it is quite difficult to travel such long distance to Sefikeng in order to access services.
The reports from Ministry of Energy and Mining indicate that under normal conditions, each household was supposed to pay M27,332 in order to be connected, but the government has stepped in with M23,466,109,00 million.
Among the villages to benefit from the rural the electricity project includes Masaleng, Ha-Hlasa, Ha-Pholoanyane, Ha-Maisa, Ha-‘Mantai, Ha-Popa, Ha-Khalane, Meholoaneng, Sekhutlong, Ha-Likobo,
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LENA
