LAST WORD REVISITED!
43
Enough with all the
master plans and papers –
let us get the work done!
By
Rory Macnamara
Government in all departments have enough Master
Plans and Papers on every topic that would sink an
entire fleet of battleships plus more.
Reading the press release on the
outcomes of the Sustainable Infrastructure
Development Symposium recently held
via video proved beyond a doubt that we
need to start working and stop drinking
tea at discussion groups producing such
documents which, in the case of Water &
Sanitation, their brilliant (and I do mean
brilliant) Master Plan cannot be carried out
because “they do not have the funds for
most of the projects!”
This fact was a given when they started on the Master
Plan, so why did they compile it in the first place?
Money spent on ‘talk shows’ could have been
put to better use. The release further stated that
“DWS highlighted that the Covid-19 pandemic
had a negative impact on the water infrastructure
industry and exacerbated pre-existing water issues
in South Africa.”
Come on DWS, blaming the coronavirus will not
get you anywhere. Covid highlighted how bad
our water and sanitation infrastructure was way
before it arrived!
The department has been ripped apart by the
previous Minister (read, ‘Money down the Drain –
Corruption in South Africa’s water sector’) and it
would appear that the current Minister has her own
troubles with certain Water Boards and surrounding
herself with unqualified people in the water space.
The release continues, “Interventions would be
required through policy reform (again?), water
savings, innovation and private funding…”. Whilst
discussions are happening around the War on
Leaks programme now, the last being a disaster
where water wastage increased, young people
poorly trained and ill-equipped and subsequently
jobless, let this be clear, unless the Institute of
Plumbing SA is integral to, or leading the War
on Leaks programme, it will fail again. This time
industry will not be forgiving!
Regarding innovations, which Plumbing Africa Journal
fully supports, this is not in line with some outdated
compulsory National Standards in the water sector.
Government is the enabler of business – but
business runs business and under no circumstances
should government be in control, especially when
private funding is made available. PA
“Let this be clear, unless
the Institute of Plumbing SA
is integral to, or leading the
War on Leaks programme,
it will fail again.”
September 2020 Volume 26 I Number 07
www.plumbingafrica.co.za