Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining Bright Msaka on Sunday launched the Malawi Rural Electrification Project (Marep) Phase 8 at a function which took place at Senior Chief Nthondo’s headquarters in Ntchisi.
The launch started with the switching on of a floodlight at Kwezani School where a headmaster’s house was connected to electricity as the first house to be connected in the area.
Msaka said electricity is a symbol of development in an area, hence there was need for communities to utilise it profitably.
“In some centres I have visited, electricity is used for playing music all the time. We want people to engage themselves in developmental activities like information and technology,” Msaka said.
The minister said the Marep 8 would see four centres in Traditional Authority Nthondo get connected with electricity.
Member of Parliament for the area, Olipa Chimangeni (Malawi Congress Party) was grateful to the government for considering the area for the electrification project.
She said Nthondo was the only constituency in the district that had no electricity since independence.
“The government should be applauded for bringing electricity here. People need to develop and electricity is one factor that would see people venture into different activities for their development,” Chimangeni said
Nthondo area has Cheka dairy cooperative with its own cooling centre which used solar for its power, but it would now be using electricity to keep more milk before collection by buyers.
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