Water project fails to flow

A group of young people who were paraded in front of then president Jacob Zuma to be trained as artisans for the national War on Leaks programme say they were never placed and have been sitting at home for the past two years.

The project, launched amid huge fanfare at Port Elizabeth’s Dan Qeqe Stadium in August 2015, was dubbed the saviour to the country’s water leaks crisis and meant to slash its R7-billion water losses bill.

The project was meant to create 15 000 jobs. However, at least 12 trainees from Uitenhage, who received all the necessary theoretical training as artisans, have been waiting since 2016 to be placed for practical work.

They have been paid a monthly stipend of R2 000 up until March. The news comes as the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality battles a crippling drought as well as the loss of about 38% of its water to leaks.

The municipality has previously blamed its slow progress in clamping down on leaks on the fact that it was struggling to find qualified artisans to fill plumber vacancies.

At least 12 of the trainees from the War on Leaks programme, which was a project of the national Department of Water and Sanitation, said they could have assisted the metro with its water losses programme.

The group, from Uitenhage, say they need the practical training to be certified artisans. They did not want to be named. One trainee said he felt they had wasted their time.

“We were told that we would be placed in work by October last year, but nothing has materialised from the promises,” he said.

The 27-year-old trainee said he had hoped the project would help end poverty in his family.

“When the programme started, we spent two weeks at the Road Lodge as part of our induction.
“This gave us the impression that this project was legit and finally we could make something of our lives.

“We were even told of the benefits that we would get when we are made permanent. We had a lot of hope,” the trainee said.

He said attempts to talk to the municipality had not been successful.

“We are not being given any direction even though we were told we would be placed within the municipality to work as artisans there.”

Another trainee who only identified himself as Mziwonke said he still had hope to finally become a certified artisan.

“This whole thing doesn’t make sense to us. We hear about the water crisis daily and we think we can help with the crisis,” he said.

“This is not about the fact that we did not receive our stipend last week [April 24] but the fact that we have wasted nearly three years of our lives but we have nothing to show for it. “We need those qualifications,” he said.

Water and sanitation spokesman Sputnik Ratau said the placement of trainees was the responsibility of the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority.

Previously, Ratau said the placement of trainees in practical work had been negatively affected by the fact that there were similar competing programmes across the country.

“This is also fuelled by the limited or lack of capacity within the said host companies to absorb the War on Leaks trainees for workplace training.”

In a statement released on the Rand Water website, it said that stipends would reflect in the bank accounts of trainees by May 10.

“We are pleased to advise that Rand Water has received payments from the Department of Water and Sanitation in respect of the April 2018 stipends.

“Please note that absenteeism for the period of December 1 to December 2017 and January 1 to January 31 will be deducted from the April stipend.”