Real Power Comes to Town!

[Michael Alexander]

Came home today, to find a NAMDEB notice stuck under my door, informing me that I had better have somebody at home on Tuesday, as the powers that be wish for my house to join the real world and have a pay as you go power meter installed.... Seems like all the private folk in town will be joining the rest of the world in paying for power before there Namdeb employed brethren.....

Nothing wrong with paying for power in my opinion, just make sure that my power is not linked to my neighbours as is the case with quite a few of the homes in the town....

Also wondering how this is gonna pan out , if you have a free loading NAMDEB employee in the one house and the neighbour is private and from the same village, if we are gonna see an increase in the purchase of extension leads at the local SPAR!


Now as for the water.....

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

Make sure there's somewhere to buy power.... 

[Michael Alexander]

Those guys already came to see us at SPar and a few other business's in the town....

[Cheleen Koekemoer(Pretorius)]

Mmm, very very interessting indeed!!  So when would you guys then start paying?

[Michael Alexander]

Dunno?

I recall somebody in a position awhile back telling me that, the rentals that we pay to the mine for the rental of their houses include the power and water, I assume that if we are gonna pre pay power now, then the rentals on the houses should come down?

[Michael Alexander]

Debate raging here in Spar this morning, some private people reckon that they will be closing their doors if they have to start paying for power without a reduced rental, reckon with the low population in Oranjemund the power bill will be the death of them, one in particular are  those in the fast food industry....

Somebody asked if SANDS hotel (shebeens) will be paying for power as they are also private concerns?

[Mike Voden (RIP)]

Mike, I remember disconnecting "illegal" supplies to Sands Hotel from the Local Hostel back in the early 90's, only to go back in a few days time to see another supply was connected. I suppose the same still goes today.

This "paying for power" sounds quite interesting as some private businesses are supplied by more than one kiosk and some businesses are fed from others . It looks as if some electrical firms will have plenty of work in sorting out these problems.

Maybe I should come back for a while as a consultant, get paid a huge packet, stay with the family and all at Namdeb's expense..........!!!!!!!!

[Michael Alexander]

Well, got me little meter in my house this morning.... turns out, that nobody will be charged for power until the town is proclaimed, at this stage nobody appears to know when this will be happening, although I am led to believe that a delegation is flying to see the gov on thursday to lobby their cause...

I was wondering what would happen if the sea walker proves viable and the mine decides to deloy a fleet of these walkers to mine the coast.... in essence the walkers replacing the earthmoving fleet, still need artisans and techies to run them .... if this is done on a large scale, then surely the mines workforce would be increasing in years to come ? Where would the mine house all these folk in the future?