KNYSNA NEWS - There seems to be hope for residents of the newly built RDP houses in Hornlee that all of their houses will be connected to electricity before the end of this financial year.

Knysna United chair Reverend Ralph Stander said electricity was connected in the Park area in Hornlee last week. 

“Residents are happy that they have finally been connected. As from today, indigents can go to the municipality to be connected without paying the connection fee,” he said.

Stander said the Hall Street and swimming pool areas will be connected in the next two weeks.

“Knysna United was fighting for homes and electricity. Almost all the houses have been given down, but that's not enough yet because hundreds of people need homes. Our people also need land, the land that apartheid took from us,” he said. Stander said they will continue to fight until they reach their goal and everyone’s housing issues have been sorted out.

In February this year, Acting Knysna Municipal Manager Dawid Adonis confirmed that a contractor had been appointed to do electrification of newly constructed houses in Hornlee and Xolweni.

“A contractor has been appointed, and a construction programme provided to the municipality. The electrification of Hornlee and Xolweni newly constructed houses will commence on 15 March and completed before the financial year end. The public will be kept up to date on further developments,” Adonis said.

He reminded residents that a connection fee of R356,07 is payable, but registered indigent households will not need to pay the connection fee.

Adonis pointed out that households must be registered as indigent to qualify for not paying the connection fee. “The registration procedure must be followed in order for them to qualify as an indigent household,” he said.

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