Headline:
“Namibia Announces Planned Power Outage for Kavango Regions – Here’s What You Need to Know”
Subheading:
Residents and businesses in Kavango West and East will face a 12-hour electricity shutdown on May 17 for critical infrastructure upgrades.
Windhoek, Namibia – A scheduled power outage will temporarily disrupt electricity supply across Namibia’s Kavango West and East regions on Friday, May 17, as the national utility conducts essential maintenance.
The Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (Nored) confirmed the shutdown will last from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, affecting homes, businesses, and even cross-border areas in Angola and Botswana’s Shakawe.
Why the Power Cut?
NamPower, Namibia’s national power utility, will use the outage to repair a damaged conductor at the Mururani road crossing and perform upgrades on the Otjikoto-Rundu 132kV transmission line.
Additionally, Nored will replace aging wooden crossarms on the Mahango and Mpasi 66kV feeders—a move aimed at preventing future failures and improving grid reliability.
How Residents Should Prepare
Nored spokesperson Simon Lukas urged affected communities to take precautions:
- Treat all power lines as live, even during the outage, as electricity may return unexpectedly.
- Unplug sensitive electronics to avoid damage from potential surges.
- Minimize opening refrigerators/freezers to preserve food.
- Make contingency plans for vulnerable individuals reliant on medical equipment.
Cross-Border Impact
The outage will also ripple into neighboring Angola and Botswana, where some border communities depend on Namibia’s grid. Authorities in these regions have been notified to mitigate disruptions.
Looking Ahead
While the 12-hour shutdown may inconvenience residents, Nored emphasizes that the upgrades will bolster long-term power stability in the Kavango regions. Similar maintenance is expected in other areas as Namibia modernizes its energy infrastructure.
For real-time updates, Nored advises following its official channels.
— Reported by Nexio News
