Councils owe NamPower N$912 million

Electricity Control Board CEO Robert Kahimise (Photo: ECB)

Local authorities, state-owned enterprises, and electricity distributors owe NamPower a combined N$912 million, according to the Electricity Control Board (ECB), with more than half of the amount linked to breached repayment agreements.

ECB Chief Executive Officer Robert Kahimise said N$557 million relates to agreements that have not been honoured. Mariental Municipality is the largest debtor, owing N$233 million, followed by Gobabis, Karasburg, and Aranos. An additional N$210 million is owed by councils operating under bulk electricity prepayment systems.

NamPower is also owed N$70 million by Angola’s state utility, RNT. Kahimise said the growing debt burden has prompted the expansion of bulk prepaid electricity systems for local authorities.

He cited Rehoboth Town Council as an example, noting that under a bulk prepaid system, electricity supply can be cut automatically if sufficient units are not loaded. Kahimise warned that negative balances under such systems could result in immediate electricity disruptions.