By Bisola Adeyemo
Farm workers in the Breede Valley Municipal in the Western Cape, South Africa, can now enjoy electricity directly as the Agri-worker Electrification Project is completed.
According to news24 the Agri-worker Electrification Project, which was started in 2016, provide them with direct access to electricity.
Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning officer MEC Anton Bredell, said the project was rolled out in the Hex River Valley as a pilot programme.
Bredell said the idea behind the project was to allow farm workers to purchase electricity from vending stations or via an electronic e-pay system.
“The project was a collaborative effort between the Department of Local Government in the Western Cape, Eskom, the Hex River Table Grape Association, the Agri-workers Association and the Breede Valley Municipality. The aim is to make electricity available directly to the farm workers.”
He added the Hex River Valley was selected because of the relatively small size of farms and higher density of households in the area.
According to the department, the project was funded by Eskom, while it was responsible for its overall coordination and facilitation.