INDUSTRY NEWS

Japan hands over water training centre to SA

Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation (DWS) Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has received the multi-million rand Roodeplaat Training Centre to train artisans to deal with water losses in communities.

The centre was officially handed over by the Ambassador of Japan to South Africa, Maruyama Norio, during an event held at the Water and Sanitation’s Roodeplaat Training Centre outside Pretoria on Monday. It was also attended by the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo, President of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and Polokwane Local Municipality Mayor, Thembi Nkadimeng, and the MMC for Infrastructure in Tshwane, Councillor Phillip Nel. The Japanese government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), funded the construction of the training facility at the Roodeplaat Training Centre of Water and Sanitation. The training yard covers the basics of training artisans to deal with water losses in communities. The designs of the training yard were conducted by the department’s engineers with technical support from JICA. The training of artisans comes against the background of growing concerns about the huge amounts of water losses – estimated at R9 billion a year in South Africa. A South African company was contracted by JICA to construct the training yard. The department’s engineers will handle all the activities, including the maintenance of the training yard, to ensure the sustainability of the programme. Sisulu has taken ownership of the training yard on NonRevenue Water Management built by the Government of Japan from Ambassador Maruyama. Speaking at the event, Maruyama said the objective of his government’s assistance in South Africa’s water sector is to give support for skills development of local municipalities who are faced with challenges of water losses, known as non-revenue water. “The area of non-revenue water is one of the major challenges Operation Vulindlela will drive in the economic reform of South Africa. The Japanese assistance will help municipalities to improve their performance in water services and to address challenges of economic reforms at grass root level,” Maruyama said. Maruyama described the training centre as “more than a skills development project we provide to the municipalities, it’s a skills development that enables economic reform”.

Non-revenue water

Sisulu said that water is under extreme threat from a