GOBABIS: The Witvlei Village Council is on a drive to market the town and make it a preferred destination for investors in the region in order to align it with the objectives of Vision 2030.

Topping the priority list of potential developments at the town is an envisaged solar energy plant, which is expected to provide electricity to the town to reduce its dependence on the national electricity supplier, NamPower.

Witvlei Village Council Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chris Murangi told Nampa on Monday that partners have already been identified for the solar system project, and negotiations on logistics and other factors are at an advanced stage.

Once completed, the solar system is intended to be used to electrify a number of new houses and prominent offices at the town.

The Witvlei CEO said with the high amount of solar radiation that the region enjoys, there is no reason why the Village Council should not make use of the opportunity to start up a solar power plant as an alternative to conventional electricity.

“There is a high demand for electricity across southern Africa, but the supply is critically limited. Therefore, it is incumbent on various institutions to meet Government halfway in coming up with alternative energy resources,” he noted.

Murangi further stated that local authorities often find themselves in huge electricity debts due to non-payment, and such a solar plant for a town the size of Witvlei is thus more feasible than the price at which the town council buys electricity.

Amongst developments earmarked for the town is the construction of a small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SME) park, which will house all traders at the town who currently conduct their business on street corners or under trees.

The town also hopes to benefit from a dairy production initiative set to be established at nearby Gobabis by serving as a satellite processing plant for the envisaged dairy factory.

“We are strategically positioned to attract huge volumes of traffic and consumers that use the Trans-Kalahari highway, and therefore want the regional council to consider Witvlei for a milk-processing plant as part of the larger dairy plantation to be set up at Gobabis,” Murangi said.