Let there be light for Goodhope
Goodhope informal settlement residents are given solar chargers.
By: Thabi Madiba
Many households in Germiston’s informal settlements have shed tears and have painful memories as a result of fires started by candles ,which have left families homeless and children burnt to death.
But, there is light at the end of the tunnel and residents in the Goodhope informal settlement recently had their candles replaced by the installation of Insele solar chargers.
The installation comes after a three-month-old baby was burned to death by a fire that was started by a candle, and 11 families were left homeless as a result of the fire.
Shadrack Sibonelo Kunene (45), known as “Mushuka”, was one of the people who were left homeless due to the fire.
“Now that the municipality has installed the solar chargers it is better, because the number of burning shacks has decreased,” said Mushuka.
He praised and thanked the municipality for the good work they have done.
Residents of Goodhope are also very excited about the installations, as it saves them on the cost of candles and they can now charge their cellphones for free at their homes.
Georgina Motlhobudi (72), who has been living in the informal settlement for 20 years, said: “We used to charge our cellphones for R5 from individuals who had generators, which some could not afford as they are unemployed.
“Those who could not afford the R5 for charging had to cross a busy road to a near-by location just to charge their cellphones.
“Solar charges are useful to the community as a whole.”
Ekurhuleni Ward 93 Clr Lindiwe Sibidle, known as “Ma Dlamini”, highlighted that it is very difficult for the metro to install electricity in an informal settlement because the place can be removed anytime and it will cost them all a lot of money.
Solar chargers were the only alternative they could install in informal settlements, to decrease the number of burning shacks.
She added that with the lights from the solar chargers, the informal settlement has now been uplifted to such an extent that it looks like an area where everybody has electricity.
“The solar chargers are very useful to the residents because they can now charge their cellphones and not have to cross the road, which can be dangerous because they can be knocked down by speeding cars ,” said Ma Dlamini
An estimated 3 000 shacks have been fitted with the solar chargers.
Goodhope residents are now confident that good things will follow, after a very long time without service delivery.
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