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 .