{"id":199017,"date":"2019-03-20T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-20T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/199017\/new-solution-to-overcoming-power-outages\/"},"modified":"2019-03-20T14:40:59","modified_gmt":"2019-03-20T12:40:59","slug":"new-solution-to-overcoming-power-outages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2019\/03\/20\/new-solution-to-overcoming-power-outages\/","title":{"rendered":"New solution to overcoming power outages"},"content":{"rendered":"

Residents and visitors to Germiston have seen the CBD begin to transform over the past few months.<\/p>\n

New additions to the everyday scenery have popped up in a number of different places and include the brightly coloured and eye-catching paintings that can be seen under the Meyer Street railway bridge, and near the Germiston Theatre.<\/p>

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The project, which was implemented in stages by the departments of Human Settlements and Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, started in July 2018 and recently came to an end with the launch of an exciting new addition.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe are excited to announce the installation of Ekurhuleni\u2019s first solar cellphone charging \u2018tree\u2019 which can be found in front of the Germiston Theatre\u2019s main entrance,\u201d said Refiloe Monopela from Refiloe General Supplies Arts Company, which is in charge of the artist selection and management.<\/p>

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The \u2018tree\u2019 was officially launched last Friday.<\/p>\n

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Refiloe Monopela, from Refiloe General Supplies Arts Company, the company in charge of the artist selection and management in the Germiston urban renewal project believes the new solar cellphone charging \u2018tree\u2019 in front of the Germiston Theatre\u2019s main entrance will be a benefit to the community.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The \u2018tree\u2019, which is made of brightly painted guttering, aims to improve the lives of the inner city community and offers some relief from power outages and load-shedding.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter looking at the community\u2019s needs within Germiston we saw a need to not only enhance public spaces but to find solutions for problems faced by the residents,\u201d said Monopela.<\/p>\n

\u201cPower outages and load-shedding are two of the most prominent problems faced by the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

The charging unit will not only provide an outdoor power source for charging cellphones and other electronic devices, in an environmentally friendly way but will also reduce the demand for electricity from other sources.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe charging unit will also allow the metro to conduct research on the efficiency of solar panels to be used in future projects,\u201d said Monopela.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs part of the ongoing urban renewal of Germiston\u2019s inner city, the metro has included a public art component to the Germiston Urban Renewal Project.<\/p>\n

\u201cPublic art was included in the scope of work as we believe it will return life, colour and vibrancy to the city-scape,\u201d explained Themba Gadebe, spokesperson for the metro, last year when the project began.<\/p>\n

Local artists James Skhosana (24) and Sazi Sithole (34) from Primrose, Nhlakanipho Madela (26) and Zanoxolo Phali (30) from Dukathole, Bongani Siyoko (23) from Wattville, Lazarous Seshane (32) and Siphiwe Tshezi (35) from Daveyton, Mxolisi Malinga (22) and Lucas Ngope (26) from Maradona informal settlement and Lunga Harmans (35) from Ramaphosa are the artists behind the project.<\/p>\n

The artists have spent countless hours working on the murals and beautification elements that depict the history and life of Germiston, such as mining, transport, the steel industry, informal settlements and urban life.<\/p>\n

Though the project is now completed in the Germiston\u2019s CBD, Monopela and the team of artists plan to travel to different areas within Ekurhuleni for more beautification projects.<\/p>\n