NAMIBIA: Description of PILOT REGION : Tsumkwe settlement, Otjozondjupa Region

Infrastructure Tsumkwe village is situated in the extreme north-eastern part of the Otjozondjupa Region. The village is located in an off-grid area, as per the MME Rural Electricity Distribution Master Plan, 2000, and is not connected to the national electricity grid. Depending on the chosen electricity connection, the closest grid electricity access point from Tsumkwe is Maroela Boom (a 33 kV connection about 180 km due west) or Berg Aukas Distribution Station (66 kV about 240km due west). However, given the distance to Tsumkwe, a 132 kV power line is required, meaning that these two grid access points are unsuitable. The closest 132 kV point is the Tsumeb Distribution Station. ♦ Capital of the Tsumkwe’s electricity supply is currently ♦ About 700 residents provided by three Diesel generators maintained ♦ 1 police station with 25 officers and operated by the Ministry of Regional and ♦ 1 primary secondary school with 553 learners and 16 teachers Local Government and Housing and Rural ♦ 1 hostel with 214 learners Development (MRLGHRD), but some residents ♦ 1 clinic and organisations maintain their own Diesel generators or use solar energy for their ♦ a Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) studio electricity supply. A small medium voltage grid ♦ a NamPost branch network connects Tsumkwe’s electricity ♦ NamWater borehole water supply (electric pumps) consumers with the Diesel installations. ♦ a small tourist lodge ♦ a small guest house There is currently little economic potential in ♦ Tsumkwe Craft Centre Tsumkwe and growth is slight. Increase in ♦ Community Development Centre population is mostly due to localised population increases due to births with a small influx of ♦ a bakery expatriate staff, traders and school children. ♦ 2 small shops ♦ several cuca shops (shebeens) Sourcing potential interdisciplinary advisors is ♦ a number of administrative offices for government possible, due to a strong willingness to develop, ministries and non-governmental organisations. coupled with a disillusion of waiting for external assistance.

Power Electricity is sold through Pre-payment cards (at N$ 0.5208 per kWh) and Credit metering (at N$ 0.80 to N$ 0.87 per kWh, basic charge N$ 11). Liquefied petroleum gas is purchased at at about N$ 100 (4.5 kg). Wood is also extensively used, but is gathered from the veld. There is no vehicle fuel filling station at Tsumkwe Rate of electrification is low, due to the exhausted capacity of the Diesel generators. Total electricity consumption is about 28,000 kWh to 30,000 kWh per month. Tsumkwe is located in a designated Off- grid Area, meaning that it is not scheduled for national grid electrification within the next 20 years. Some Tsumkwe residents operate stand-alone Diesel generators, supplemented with Solar Energy; thermal needs are often satisfied with wood fuel. There is no supplier of renewable energy technologies in Tsumkwe. Economic Apart from limited tourism and related activities, the only stable source of income is derived from state pensions and salaries earned by public officials. There is an extremely limited employment potential and no industry. Survival by low income groups is dependent on the Government’s drought relief programme, collection of veldkos and occasional hunting of game. The predominant barrier to economic development was cited to be the lack of access to stable electricity. Unstable electricity causes damage to appliances, particularly fridges. One respondent indicated that he has had to buy three fridges in 2 years. Furthermore, the lack of stable refrigeration does not allow for the storage of frozen products, such as meat, consequently Tsumkwe does not have a butchery. This problem is compounded when trophy hunters kill large game (such as elephants), since the meat can neither be transported beyond the veterinary fence, nor can it be cold stored at Tsumkwe. A further respondent indicated that a local initiative to manufacture donkey carts had to be abandoned, because the welding machines could not be supported by the Diesel generators. The Tsumkwe Craft Centre, built by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare at a cost of about N$ 5million, is dormant, because it cannot offer prospective occupants a stable electricity supply. Income averages for Tsumkwe range between N$ 200 to N$ 10,000 per month, but a large amount of the population is unemployed. SMEs at Tsumkwe include: ♦ Hair Salon ♦ Take Away ♦ Grocery Shop ♦ Agro-forestry Garden Project ♦ Vehicle Repairs ♦ Secretarial and Conference Services ♦ Shebeens ♦ Bakery