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Media Release

3 March, 2003


Lights will soon shine in all W Cape Schools

Statement by André Gaum, Western Cape Education Minister

Eskom and the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) are working together to ensure that all schools in the Western Cape have electricity by 2004.

Eskom has launched a national project to provide electricity to schools nationwide. About 10 000 schools in South Africa do not have electricity. These include about 33 schools in the Western Cape.

Eskom plans to connect all schools to the national grid by 2004, where they are close to the to grid. The corporation will consider alternative forms of energy, such as solar power or generators, for schools in deep rural areas that are not close to the national grid.

In addition to basic electric lighting, electricity will make it possible to provide electrical and electronic teaching aids, such as videos, television sets, overhead projects and computers, and to connect these schools to the internet.

The WCED’s Telecommunications Project, for example, is on track towards connecting almost every school in the province to the internet by March 2003. However, we can only connect schools without electricity when we can plug in their computers.

Once we have linked every single school to the internet, we will have finally bridged the digital divide

Information technology also forms an essential part of our Multigrade Schools Project in rural schools, which supports those teaching more than one grade in a class. We cannot provide this technology without electricity.

The national Treasury has allocated R101-million to electrify 1 349 schools nationwide during the 2003/2004 financial year. The budget for 2002/03 was R53-million.

Eskom has allocated R1 106 200 to electrify 13 schools in the Western Cape during the 2003/04 financial year. The WCED’s Directorate: Physical Resource Planning must provide a list of schools for the Eskom-funded projects by the end of May 2003.

Eskom management has allowed the corporation to charge public schools "domestic rate tariffs" and not the "land rate tariffs" for units of energy consumed. Domestic rates, per unit, are cheaper than the land tariff rate.

Eskom has also decided to waive the payment of a deposit, which normally amounts to R150 per school, per month. The cumulative amount saved will be quite large as there are about 1 552 schools in the Western Cape.

When Eskom electrifies a public school, at the corporation’s cost, they require the following commitment from the WCED:

  • The payment of a connection fee. This is a once-off payment. The average amount is R1 200 per connection;

  • To keep the school open for a minimum of five years after it has been electrified; and

  • To pay the monthly electricity account for the units of energy used by the school. Schools managing their own finances in terms of Section 21 of the South African Schools Act are responsible for settling their accounts.

Almost all the schools still needing electricity in the Western Cape are in rural areas. Of the 33 schools needing electricity, 21 are in the Southern Cape, six are in the Overberg region, five are on the West Coast and one is in the WCED’s Metropole East district.

Eskom and the WCED are currently connecting five schools to the national electricity grid. Local authorities are providing electricity to a further two schools.

The department and Eskom have identified a further 19 schools for possible connection in 2003/04. Four schools have not been earmarked for electrification because they may close because of rationalisation of rural schools.

Further consideration will be given to two schools that lie far from the national grid. Options include solar panels or generators. The two schools are Klawervlei NGK Primary in the Southern Cape, and Tanqua NGK in the Overberg region, that lie 40 km and 80 km from the nearest connection points respectively.

Further details can be obtained from Mr André Kuhn of Eskom (Schools’ Electrification Project, Western Cape), at (021) 915-2738.

Media inquiries:   André Gaum   082-550-3938


Issued by:
The Communications Directorate
Western Cape Education Department
Private Bag X9114
Cape Town 8000
Tel: (021) 467-2531
Fax: (021) 467-2363
Email: pattwell@pgwc.gov.za
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