Question to the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation (Inactive) - NW1477

16 July 2021 - NW1477

Seitlholo, Mr IS to ask the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation

(1)Whether her department has concluded any work exchange and/or employment agreements with any entity of the Republic of Cuba from the 2010-11 financial year up to the 2020-21 financial year; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what (a) total number of Cuban nationals (i) have been employed in each of the specified financial years and/or (ii) are due to be employed in the 2021-23 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period, (b) are the details of the work that each of the specified Cuban nationals was and/or will be employed to perform, (c) are the details of the specific skills sets that each of the specified Cuban nationals possessed and/or will possess that South African nationals did or will not possess and (d) are the details of the total cost of employing each of the specified Cuban nationals in each case; 2. whether her department took any steps to ensure that the specific skills set of the specified Cuban nationals were and/or will not be available in the Republic amongst South African citizens; if not, in each case, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of the (a) steps taken and (b) outcomes of the steps taken in this regard?

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Reply:

(1) The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) entered into cooperation agreement with the Cuban government in the following periods;

2008 to 2010
2015 to 2019
2020 to 2023

(a)(i-ii) Placements for relevant periods are as indicated in the table below:

Period of Agreement	No of Cubans Deployed
2008 – 2010	5 (the programme was coordinated through the United Nations, and the Cubans were not directly employed nor paid by the DWS)
2015 – 2019	35
2020 – 2023	25

(b) The Cuban nationals are responsible for the following functions in the DWS, amongst others:

Implementation of Restructuring and Development Programme (RDP) of Water and Sanitation projects
Provide Geo- Hydrologic Scientific assistance
Assessments and evaluation of designs, research and security of hydrologic infrastructure
Evaluation and assistance with operations and maintenance of water infrastructure within clusters and area offices in different provinces
Evaluation of infrastructure assets of the department including dams, bulk water infrastructure, irrigation canals and pump stations
Evaluation and verification of quality control of maintenance as well as refurbishment of water infrastructure.
Scoping of waste water treatment systems.
Project management for grant funded infrastructure projects implemented by municipalities
Verification and analysis of bulk infrastructure applications and business plans from municipalities to the DWS

2020 - 2023 Cohort

No.	Qualification	Area of Specialization
1	Mechanical Engineering	Mechanical Engineering
2	Geophysics Engineer & Master in Science Geophysics	Senior Geophysics Scientist
3	Civil Engineer	Structural Design Engineering
4	Hydraulics Engineer	Hydraulic Engineer
5	Hydraulics Engineer	Hydraulic Engineer
6	Hydraulic Engineering	Hydraulic Engineer with Design experience
7	Hydraulic Engineering, Master of Science	Hydraulic Engineering
8	Hydraulics Engineering	Water Resource Management
9	Civil Engineering	Design, Maintenance and Operation of Water Infrastructure
10	Mechanical Engineering	Mechanical Engineering
11	Technologist Engineer	Technologist Engineer in Hydraulics and Water Treatment
12	Agricultural Mechanization Engineering	Trained as Mechanical Engineer and works as Investment Manager
13	Engineer Hydrologist	Surface Water Hydrology
14	Electrical Engineering	Electrical Engineering systems
15	Irrigation and Drainage Engineering	Irrigation and Drainage Engineer with extensive experience in Planning and Design
16	Engineering in Automatic Control	Engineering with specialisation in Automatic Control
17	Hydraulics and Structural Engineering	Civil/ Hydraulic Engineer
18	Mechanical Engineer	Mechanical Engineering
19	Hydraulics Engineer	Hydraulic Engineering
20	Hydraulic/ Civil Engineering	Hydraulic Engineer with experience in Planning and Design
21	Bachelor of Engineering: Electrical	Electrical Engineering, Physical Planning and Construction
22	Bachelor of Engineering - Electrical	Electrical Engineering projects
23	Electrical Engineering	Electrical Engineering
24	Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering & Master Mechanical Engineering	Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing and Technology
25	Mechanical Engineer	Mechanical Engineering

2015 – 2019 Cohort

No.	Qualification	Area of Specialization
1	Hydraulic Engineer	Hydraulic Engineering: Project and investigation specialist
2	Mechanical engineer	Complex hydraulic engineering
3	Hydraulic Engineer	Senior Specialist: Hydraulic Engineering
4	Geo-hydrologist	Geo-hydrologist
5	Hydrology Engineer	Hydrology Engineering
6	Civil Engineer	Senior Specialist of Projects and Engineering
7	Mechanical engineer	Mechanical engineering
8	Civil Engineer	Senior Specialist in hydraulic resources management
9	Hydro-geologist Engineer	Coordinator of the Regional Hydrographic Water Shared Council
10	Electrical engineer	Senior Specialist in hydraulic resources management
11	Irrigation and Drainage Engineer	Water resources management
12	Electrical engineer	Electrical engineering
13	Irrigation and Drainage Engineer	Water Resources Water Infrastructure
14	Civil Engineer	Civil Engineering with extensive experience in Planning and Design
15	Hydraulic Engineer	Specialist of channel designs
16	Hydraulic Engineer	Specialist in hydraulic resources management
17	Geophysics Engineer	Specialist in Projects and Engineering
18	Agronomist Engineering	Senior Specialist on Hydraulic Projects and Engineering
19	Geology Engineer	Groundwater Consultant
20	Hydraulic Engineer	Hydraulic Engineering
21	Civil Engineer	Senior Specialist in Engineering Projects
22	Hydraulic Engineer	Specialist in hydraulic resources management
23	Civil Engineer	Senior Specialist in Engineering Projects
24	Hydrologist	Technical Hydrological Officers
25	Hydraulic Engineer	Senior Engineer
26	Agricultural Engineer	Director: Hydraulic Infrastructure Operations and Maintenance
27	Hydraulic Engineer	Equipment Maintenance
28	Civil Engineer- Hydraulic	Specialist in design and research
29	Irrigation and Drainage Engineer	Specialist of Project and Engineering
30	Hydrology Engineer	Senior Specialist: Hydrology Engineering
31	Mechanical engineer	Mechanical Engineering
32	Hydraulic Engineer	Hydraulic Engineer: Principal Specialist in Projects and Engineering
33	Electrical engineer	Director Hydro-Energy
34	Mechanical engineer	Project specialist: Mechanical Engineering
35	Hydro Technical Engineer	Specialist: Hydro Technical Engineering

2008 – 2010 COHORT (UN project)

No.	Qualification	Area of Specialization
1	Hydraulic Engineer	Senior Specialist in Projects and Engineering.
2	Irrigation and Drainage Engineer	Specialist of Projects and Engineering
3	Geo Hydrologist	Specialist of Hydraulic Projects
4	Hydraulic Engineer	Principal Specialist in Projects and Engineering.
5	Geology Engineer	Specialist in Hydraulic Infrastructure Resources Management

(d) All actual and estimated costs for the Cuban programme are indacted in the table below:

Period of Agreement	Actual Costs	Estimated costs
2008 – 2010	Funded by the UN	-
2015 - 2019	R 122 218 188	-
2020 - 2023	Actual costs to be determined at the end of each financial year	R 79 225 700

(2)

(2) The DWS continuously advertises vacant funded positions locally. The Department has taken steps to develop technical skills capacity building through the establishment of the Learning Academy which has focused on recruiting young South African graduates in disciplines like Engineering, Scientist and disciplines like Quantity Surveying. The DWS continues to develop artisans to enhance the technical capacity in operations and maintenance in the clusters and area offices where the bulk water infrastructure is located. The Cubans; compliment and support the Departmental officials in the clusters in the operations and maintenance functions.

The capacity building project has yielded good results and in the past 5 years, the Department has succeeded in mentoring more than 100 engineers and scientists who successfully acquired professional registration with professional councils like Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and South African Council for National Scientific Professions (SACNASP) among others. These technical professionals were absorbed in permanent posts in the Department.

Source file

RNW1477-210716.docx

16 July 2021 - NW1477

Seitlholo, Mr IS to ask the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation

Reply:

Source file

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