Poor community in hot water
2010-06-03 11:00
Cape Town - In the run-up to World Environment Day on Saturday, the MEC for the Western Cape's environmental affairs and development planning department has gone on a walkabout in Darling to personally asses the implementation of solar water geysers in the community.
The department has installed over 1 000 solar water geysers, but MEC Anton Bredell warned that people should not be completely reliant on the government.
"We realise that expectations are high, but government cannot provide everything," he told News24.
Darling is an area with high unemployment and the area where the new geysers shine in the sun is called Asla by the locals. People here are grateful - some are experiencing hot water on tap for the first time in their lives.
"We've been living here a year and we've had this (solar) geyser for seven months now. It makes a big difference with the hot water," resident Gashion Moos told News24.
Vandalism
"It makes hot water when the sun shines, but it's not so hot when it's cloudy," added Dessie Beziek.
The geysers are installed on a modular system so that each part can be replaced if damaged.
"But we haven't had much vandalism," said installation company Citrine. The company said that of the more than 1 000 installed so far, they had spent virtually nothing on repairs due to vandalism.
"It's about education," said Bredell who is originally from the area and served as executive mayor of Swartland Municipality.
"A training programme is essential and parents need to teach their children. If we can achieve that then the community can take government's hand and we can achieve social development goals," he added.
Cost
The geysers cost R9 000 each, but Citrine said this was due to the government buying in bulk and that individuals who buy could expect to pay more - but they would qualify for the Eskom rebate.
Bredell suggested that there was large scope to install more solar geysers, particularly in impoverished communities, but that the programme was largely budget dependant.
"This programme is a drop in the ocean, there's lots more to do. We have R1m set aside for future environmental programmes," he said.
Bredell said that the average family saved about R70 per month on their electricity bill and to achieve a national roll-out of solar power, "tap-in tariffs" needed review.
His department had set a goal of 14% renewable energy by 2014.
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