Mafeteng, June 12 — Prime Minister Mr. Ntsokoane Matekane says he expects major improvements in the lives of people in Thabana-Mamorena following the completion of an electrification project that has connected 981 households in the Liphiring area. Speaking during the handover ceremony of the Electrification Project at Liphiring on Friday, Mr. Matekane said the project, implemented through the support of the Government of Lesotho and the Lesotho Renewable Energy and Energy Access Project, will bring positive changes in education, business and community development. He said access to electricity is expected to improve learning conditions for students, support existing businesses and encourage the establishment of new enterprises in the area.ll The Prime Minister noted that the government had initially planned to electrify more than 1,000 households. However, the target was not fully achieved due to misuse of funds and the impact of strong winds that left some families homeless. He assured community members that the Ministry of Energy and Mining would return to connect households that were left out, including those from nearby villages and homes built after the project had started. Speaking at the same event, the Minister of Energy and Mining, Mr. Lejone Mpotjoane, said the ministry had successfully electrified more than 900 households through cooperation with local authorities and other stakeholders. He thanked the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning for securing funds that enabled the successful implementation of the project. He said the ministry would continue seeking financial support to expand electrification projects to other parts of the country. Mr. Mpotjoane said the ministry remains committed to achieving universal household electrification by 2030. He added that the ministry has a responsibility to ensure adequate electricity generation for Basotho and neighbouring countries. The newly appointed Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, Mr. Selibe Mochoboroane, thanked the World Bank for supporting the project, which began in Thabana-Mamorena in 2004 with the electrification of Linotsing and Hellspot villages. He also acknowledged previous governments for supporting the initiative despite challenges encountered during implementation. He thanked community members for allowing contractors to install electricity poles in their fields. Mr. Mochoboroane said some of the challenges included vandalised poles and homes destroyed by strong winds linked to climate change. Despite these difficulties, he said the project was completed successfully and residents can now benefit from electricity. Representing local chiefs, Chieftainess Matheko Ntja Posholi expressed happiness over the completion of the project, saying it had come at the right time when it was most needed. She pointed out that more development was still required in the area, as some villages had not yet benefited from the project and others lacked improved gravel roads, including Khilibiting. Community Councilor Mr. Phallang Kalake thanked the government and all stakeholders for the project, saying residents were already experiencing its benefits across several villages. He, however, noted that some households remained unconnected after being destroyed by strong winds, leaving their owners homeless. The electrification project was implemented at a cost of M42 million. Ends/MO/ml
MATEKANE EXPECTS TRANSFORMATION OF LIVES
