This was a statement issued by Sputnik Ratau, spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation, on 19 April 2021.
Ratau said that ‘the highly qualified Cuban specialists will assist as advisors at provincial and local levels across the country, sharing their vast skills in the areas of mechanical, electrical and civil engineering, as well as project management.’
The engineers’ core responsibilities will include the practical exploration of sustainable use of water resources, maintenance and management of water supply and sanitation infrastructure, and the strategic planning of those resources, particularly in rural and other disadvantaged communities.
This initiative should be seen in the light of a New York Times article (NYT) of 15 February 2021 entitled An Inside Look at Cuba’s Constant Struggle for Clean Water.
The NYT notes: ‘Every day in towns across Cuba, a vast array of workers — from inspectors and fumigators to truck drivers and pipe layers — takes to the streets in a coordinated effort to provide clean water to their fellow citizens.’
More than 50% of Cuba’s water is being lost through leaky and antiquated pipelines.
‘For much of the population, running water is available only sporadically — in some cases, for one or two hours a day, every few days. While it flows, residents store the available water in cisterns or tanks, which then serve as potential breeding environments for mosquitoes.’
To keep water clear of mosquito larvae the inspectors usually use a larvacide. When it is not available, however, they put little fish into water tanks. They are considered a natural alternative.
A photojournalist, Sanne Derks, “rode on the horse-drawn carriages that carry the water throughout the city, and observed how Cubans — with an ingeniousness and thoroughness — tried to fix their water hoses and pumps with whatever materials were available to them.”
“Water trucks, called pipas, supply water in the event of a broken pipeline or low pressure — or simply because functioning plumbing doesn’t exist. In a neighborhood near the city of Cardenas, a truck visits twice a week to supply water, which residents carry to their houses using buckets.
“In January 2020, because of problems with its aqueduct, parts of Trinidad went without running water for 20 days. People living in higher areas could tap unprocessed water from the pipelines, before it entered the faulty aqueduct.
“In some areas the water pressure is too low to fill rooftop tanks. Here, an external pump is used to provide extra force — though such pumps are considered luxury items that not everyone can afford.”
In The ANC finds true love,written by William Saunderson-Meyer earlier this month, he says that the ANC suffers from the psychology of an immature teen and that “When it comes to foreign affairs, this translates into South Africa — like a tempestuous adolescent ruled by raging hormones rather than sound sense — alternating between defiant posturing and the cringingly obsequious.”
Suanderson-Meyer holds that “the infatuation of President Cyril Ramaphosa and his sidekicks with the Cubans, the Venezuelans and others of a socialist ilk, is that of the classic schoolyard crush.”
READ MORE A South African solution for better drinking water
Saunderson-Meyer points out that water and sanitation engineers do not appear on the Home Affairs Critical Skills List, released in February, which itemises the critical occupations in which employers are allowed to recruit overseas staff.
“The ANC hopes to stem the collapse of the country’s water infrastructure, which is the result of its affirmative action appointments and the deployment of unqualified personnel, without the embarrassment of having to bring back the minority group experts that it got rid of.”
The salaries earned by the Cubans are almost double those earned by South African doctors, although reportedly most of the money goes directly to the Cuban state.
Sisulu said that Cuban engineers had specialities in areas that South African engineers did not. Then she dropped a real clanger: Sisulu then said South Africans could do the same work, but that South Africans “needed to be employed”. She went on to say that the Cubans had not been employed but would be living on a stipend while mentoring and transferring skills. In other words, labour legislation can be circumvented for ideological reasons.
The real reason for the Cuban import is, as Sisulu said: “it is based on fraternal relations as opposed to a contractual relationship. The project is worth R64 652 000.
According to the CEO of the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), Sipho Madonsela, the Cubans may need to be registered with a council for holding engineers accountable for shoddy workmanship before embarking on their duties. Alternatively they might need to be supervised by an engineer registered with ECSA.
Madonsela said that registration was necessary because Cuba is not a member of the Engineering Alliance accords. The Alliance is an NGO with members from 41 jurisdictions within 29 countries across seven international agreements.
The agreements govern the recognition of engineering educational qualifications and professional competence. Therefore the recognition of engineers from other countries, including Cuba, is not automatic.
Abri Vermeulen, water engineering division chair of the SA Institution of Civil Engineering says “Many [engineers] have been retrenched, especially under Covid-19. We engaged government last year when we heard the Cubans were coming to SA. We were asked to provide a list of unemployed engineers. We provided over 100 names. Most were young black graduates.”
Sisulu’s department denied receiving the list.
Dr Lester Goldman, CEO of the Water Institute of SA sent a list of 230 unemployed South African engineers and water specialists to the ministry on March 31 2020, after discussions with the ministry. “I am more than prepared to resend it.”
Chris Campbell, Consulting Engineers SA CEO, said their recent survey showed 20% of SA’s engineers were underutilised, with the number growing.
“We have a database of 400 unemployed, highly skilled engineers. The reduction in capacity utilisation begs the question as to why government is importing foreign skills.”
On 23 April Solidarity sent a list of more than 120 competent and willing engineers to Sisulu. Solidarity says these local engineers offer more expertise at a lower cost than the import of Cuban engineers suggest.
“We have reached out to the Minister with a list of some of the country’s most experienced and knowledgeable specialists in engineering, some of whom retain masters and doctoral degrees and others who have up to 42 years of experience. They are ready and willing to immediately start with work,” said Solidarity CEO, Dr Dirk Hermann. “Furthermore, our list contains specialists in several fields of engineering and project management, but should the Minister require other expertise we can find those skills with the help of our Engineering Guild. There is simply no excuse not to use our own intellectual and practical resources.
“Taxpayers are already fed up with almost daily seeing and hearing how their taxes are being wasted. In addition, we cannot allow the looting of these funds to take on an international colour,” explained Hermann. “The Minister’s decision is unacceptable and cannot ignored. Our message is clear: Here are the leading experts in the country. They are raising their hands. They want to work. The onus now lies with government. Explain to us, them and the taxpayer why local is no longer good enough,” Hermann concluded.
The ANC piles on government abuse upon government abuse. In the process South Africans remain needlessly unemployed and the water crises takes an inordinately long time to be dealt with. Another national disgrace.
