DA calls for coherent skills development in the water sector
Presentations at a Water Sector Capacity and Skills Development Conference held in Port Elizabeth painted a bleak picture of the current state of skills in the water services sector in South Africa. The following figures were presented by the Department of Water Affairs and the Water Institute for Southern Africa (WISA), and are cause for obvious concern:
Risk Rating: Municipal Water Services Provision
* Functional: 30 municipalities
* At risk: 110 municipalities
* High risk: 99 municipalities
* Critical: 23 municipalities
Nine percent of municipalities, it was said are "in severe crisis", 38 percent are likely to reach the same level of crisis within eight months, and 42 percent are at risk of reaching the same high risk profile if no intervention takes place. Approximately 70 percent of municipalities were described as having "insufficient capacity" to deal with the provision of water services.
South Africa is faced with dire water shortages, with its rivers being systematically destroyed by pollution and with a serious concern about the quality of its drinking water. The current problems can only be addressed by skilled professionals.
The Department spoke at length of the current fragmented and unsustainable approach to skills development in the water sector and need for a coordinated response. Officials presented the Framework Programme for Education and Training, a response to a study performed in 1998 - 12 years ago - which found there to be a lack of competence in the water sector. A skills task team was established in 2008, but, to date, in the words of the conference presenter, "nothing has happened"
The DA will continue to urge the Minister to address this critical issue. Thus far, her responses have been disappointing, to say the least.
In response to a 2009 DA parliamentary question regarding the compliance with requirements for skills at water and wastewater treatment works, the Minister replied that "[t]here is no sufficient information to serve as indication that all water care works are not complying...An effective registration system is still under development since the current system does not have all the required search options and that includes the linking of Process Controllers with a specific plant or works."
The Minister went further: "Process Controlling is regarded as a scarce skill and limited capacity is available to address the current skills shortage. My Department is in the process of liaising with sector partners to address the skills shortage through various means which includes the training of under-skilled process controllers."
A further DA question on the shortage of engineering skills in the water sector elicited the following disturbing response:
"My Department has no information for the Water Sector, however, for my Department, the table below indicates the extent of shortage within.
Civil engineers: 95 posts filled, 210 posts vacant
Mechanical engineers; 11 posts filled, 16 posts vacant"
The DA applauds the efforts of institutions such as WISA, the Young Water Professionals and the DBSA. However, the fact remains that the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs is, according to the National Water Act 36 of 1998, "the public trustee of the nation's water resources" and "must ensure that water is protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled in a sustainable and equitable manner, for the benefit of all persons and in accordance with its constitutional mandate".
The Minister has a perfect opportunity, when she presents her 2010/11 budget speech to parliament, to present concrete plans and meaningful actions to address the skills shortage in the water sector. This is an opportunity she cannot afford to miss.
Statement issued by Annette Lovemore, MP, Democratic Alliance shadow minister of water and environmental affairs, February 25 2010
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