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dam-l Solar in Lesotho/LS
Lesotho
The sun rays beam in the Kingdom
Mopheme/The Survivor (Maseru)
October 5, 1999
By Thabang Matjama
Maseru - The likelihood that the lives of
Basotho, especially who live in the rural areas, will change into better
was
brought to sight and hearing during the
official launch of a video on dissemination of solar electricity and
conservation for households by the Minister
of Natural Resources, at Maseru Sun on Wednesday last week.
The video will be used as a campaign mode
for Basotho, especially in the rural areas to adopt the technology of solar
energy as an alternative to traditional
energy means which are almost becoming scarce or too costly. During this
momentous event which was very well attended
by personalities from different ministries and private sector groups,
the Natural Resources Minister, Monyane
Moleleki disclosed that in the past two decades, various projects on the
development and dissemination of renewable
energy technologies in the country have been undertaken, but the process
of adaptation has been very slow.
He added that the department of energy
through the Advisory Project on Household and Building Energy Issues
(APHABEI), commissioned a study in 1993
whose main objective was to identify the setbacks which inhibit wide
adoption of the technologies. "This was done
to find out the reasons underlying this apparent lack of interest in new
and renewable energy forms," he said.
Moleleki further said 3.5% of Basotho have
access to grid electricity. "This low level of electrification through grid
reticulation presents immense opportunities
for utilisation of solar electricity. Due to its nature, of being capable
of
being tailored for individual needs, solar
electricity is very appropriate for the scattered settlements and the
topographic
characteristics of our beautiful country,"
he said, further urging the NGOs and individuals to lend their full support
to
this venture.
The event was also to present a solar energy
related video with a theme to raise awareness and the usefulness of the
system to the people after which questions
were asked from the floor to the panel for an open discussion. Asked about
the expenses involved in the installation of
the system, Otto Gomm, the representative of the German Assistance for
Technical Co-operation (GTZ), said the
capital to put the system in place can be worrying in the first struggles
but in
the long run it is as cheap as plain sailing.
Ingo Seifert, who is also taking part in the
project of making grassroots people's hum of life flourish added that it
has
been made possible for solar systems to be
sold even from furniture shops for easier access to the people.
Copyright (c) 1999 Mopheme/The Survivor.
Distributed via Africa News Online (www.africanews.org). For
information about the content or for
permission to redistribute, publish or use for broadcast, contact the
publisher.
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Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
and Editor, World Rivers Review
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008
http://www.irn.org
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