Otjiwarongo residents have been complaining about their high electricity tariffs, following an increase imposed by the Electricity Control Board in July last year.
It is against this background that Cenored hosted a community meeting to educate residents on the electricity tariffs.
Although Cenored had the lowest increase by the Electricity Control Board, at 7.6 percent compared to the other REDS, residents have been questioning why the tariffs are so high.
Speaking at a community meeting, Cenored's Tariff Analyst, Ruvaro Katjitundu, explained that Cenored buys electricity for N$2,08 from Nampower.
"So in this case, our first 50 units we sell for 2,04 cents, which means Cenored is only left with four cents on the first block. On the second block, we sell for N$2,53, and then we are left with 23 cents, and this is the money we are left with to provide services and to pay for our other operational costs."
Cenored provides a social prepaid tariff to residential customers, while general or business customers pay a SME prepaid tariff.
From 2021 to date, Cenored has committed to investing close to N$21 million in electrification, of which close to N$6 million was used for Otjiwarongo.
For the year 2022, Cenored connected about 30 houses, while in 2023 it connected 90 houses.
The Executive of Engineering Services at Cenored, Jason Iyambo, says, "For this year, we are connecting behind the Woermann block in Ombili, and that project is costing us N$1.1 million, and we are connecting 101 houses. These connections include providing electricity until we are installing the metre, and the person from there can just recharge as they use electricity."
The Electricity Control Board ensures that Cenored charges customers appropriate tariffs to safeguard sufficient revenue to cover the cost of electricity.
Despite the community meeting addressing electricity tariffs, community members in a Landless People's Movement-led demonstration handed a petition to Cenored.
LPM member Marcelinus Sanambi says, "The central control board has now taken on the revenue collection aspect and is accumulating big monies via levies from the reds they have established in the name of rescuing municipalities that are tasked as per the local authority act to supply electricity to their residents in their areas of jurisdiction. The Otjiwarongo community is shocked to note that electricity prices are skyrocketing each year with the help of the ECB. ECB helps to spoon-feed for its own gain."
Sanambi handed over the petition, which includes charges that Cenored does not pay dividends to its shareholders and queries about what Otjiwarongo Municipality gained from surrendering shareholding to accommodate Okahandja into the Cenored family.
Other queries include demands to know when certain areas in the informal settlement of Otjiwarongo will be electrified.
Cenored Commercial and Customer Services Executive Ignatius Komomungondo accepted the petition on behalf of Chief Executive Officer Fessor Mbango.
"We will take this petition to the highest desk for discussion, and we will commit to responding to your petition within the required or demanded seven days. Cenored is also admitting the process of electricity is high; it's something that we are busy working on that is not easy to resolve. Other than that, that issue, together with other issues, will be responded to within the next seven days."