Rundu: The Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (Nored) says it continues to face serious challenges with illegal electricity connections in the Kavango East Region and other areas where it operates. Nored's head of corporate communications, Simon Lukas, made the remarks on Monday on the sidelines of the distributor's electricity safety awareness campaign at Tuhingireni Project School in Rundu.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the campaign, which targets schools across the region, began on 09 March 2026 and will run until 13 March 2026. Lukas said the fight against illegal electricity connections requires the involvement of all stakeholders to help residents understand the risks and legal consequences.

"We need all stakeholders on board to make residents understand that connecting electricity illegally is a criminal offence and a serious violation," he said. He warned that households involved in illegal connections expose themselves and their communities to serious danger. "People who take part in illegal connections should know that their homes are not secure and that a bad incident could occur at any time. That's like bringing a hazard into the community because your home is not secure and protected," he said.

According to Lukas, illegal connections are also one of the factors contributing to frequent power outages in the region as they overload the electricity network. He said the awareness campaign is aimed at educating learners and residents about the dangers associated with such practices. Lukas added that while the company understands the importance of electricity in people's daily lives, accessing power should not be done in a way that compromises safety.

He further revealed that during Nored's Token Identifier (TID) Roll-Over Project last year to update all prepaid meters, Rundu recorded the highest number of illegal connections, followed by Ondangwa and Katima Mulilo. Community members have been urged to report illegal electricity connections, with Lukas noting that informants may receive rewards. Nored has also introduced a fine of N.dollars 9 000 for individuals found guilty of illegal electricity connections.