The South African Government and Cuba have extended the SA-Cuba cooperation agreement in the field of water resource management and water supply to 2023.
Deputy of Minister of Water and Sanitation Pamela Tshwete, on behalf of South Africa, signed the agreement with Cuba’s Institute of National Hydraulic Resources (INHR) during the third RSA-Cuba Joint Steering Committee meeting held recently in Pretoria.
The meeting was held to review and evaluate the agreement cooperation in the field of water resource management and water supply agreed upon in 2013, and identify areas of improvement.
Deputy Minister Tshwete said the extension of the cooperation agreement between the two countries is a step in the right direction for South Africa, as it will empower future engineers with much needed skills to help address the country’s water challenges.
She added that South Africa will forever be grateful to Cubans for their generosity in sharing their knowledge and skills in the health, as well as the water sector.
The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) has also committed to speedily processing requests from Cuban engineers to be recognised as professional specialists.
This follows a pipe burst in the Komati Water Augmentation Scheme area on Sunday morning, 24 September, which affected water supply to the Duvha Power Station.
“The department engineers discovered the cause of the pipe burst at the Komati Water Augmentation Scheme to be due to a case of vandalism. Someone or some people attempted to steal the isolation valve leading to the burst.