IN AN EXCITING community campaign, hundreds of people from local communities in Sol Plaatje were invited to participate in a name-change campaign, which called for a unique name for one of the Northern Cape’s largest and newest solar plants.
Matla A Bokone, meaning ‘Power of the Northern Region’ in Setswana, was the winning name, submitted by 28-year-old Khotso Mathakgane from Chris Hani Park in Kimberley.
Mathakgane, who has been living in the area for most of his life, studied IT at CPUT in Bloemfontein after finishing school at St Boniface High School.
The inspiration for his submission was drawn from the geographical location of the solar plant and much needed power by the people of the North.
Now what was originally known as Droogfontein 2 has been officially renamed ‘Matla A Bokone Solar’.
“We thank the hundreds of people who took part in the event, as they showed such excitement and were exceedingly enthusiastic about using their creativity to come up with a name for our new solar plant,” Nomzamo Landingwe, chief community operations officer for Matla A Bokone Solar, said on Monday.
Landingwe added that Matla A Bokone Solar is 100% owned by South African investors, “so a name chosen by the people of the Northern Cape is most fitting”.
During its 20-year operations, the solar PV plant will benefit a large number of communities, spread throughout the Sol Plaatje area, through various economic development programmes.
“Involving the community in choosing a name for the solar plant is a first step in the 20-year operations strategy to ensure participatory inclusion of local communities in the design and implementation of socio-economic and enterprise development initiatives,” concluded Landingwe.
The beneficiary communities include Barkly West, Riverton, Kimberley, Kimberley Central, Greenpoint, Galeshewe, Roodepan, Platfontein, Holpan, Delportshoop, Windsorton, Ritchie and Boshof.
