INSIGHT
To contextualise this, he points out a few basic comparisons between Cuba and South Africa:
• The rain intensity in Cuba is almost 2.5 times that of South Africa, while its population is about 25 % that of South Africa and its land mass is only about the size of the Free State;
• South Africa has 500 dams, about 1 000 treatment plants and many thousands of kilometres of pipelines. Cuba has 241 dams, 59 water treatment plants and about 19 000km of water networks;
• Non-revenue water losses in Cuba are as high as at 50 % compared to our 30 %; and
• Our Water Research Commission( WRC) has been in existence for 20 years longer than the INHR.
Campbell continues,“ Yet, our Deputy Minister seems to believe that such an agreement will assist in empowering the next generation. One wonders whether these imported mentors can register with the Engineering Council of South Africa( ECSA) or whether they panampost. com have sufficient competency to train our own younger engineering practitioners? Our local professionals are required to register, so why should it be any different for them?” he asks. With irony he points out that the first vice president of the INHR, Bladimir Matos Moya, says that Cuba is determined to assist South Africa in improving water supplies,“ but realistically, maybe we should be offering to help them,” Campbell adds and says,“ After all, we do have significantly more experience in this area.” In conclusion Campbell says,“ One hopes of course that they do not have the added impediments of a department such as we, alleged to be fraught with corruption, which persists with impunity, to make uninformed and ill-informed decisions that will haunt us for many years to come, long after they are all gone.”
Poor drainage after the rains in Havana, Cuba – not much of an example for South Africa.