National War on leaks training programme launch by Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Ms Pamela Tshwete, Vincent, East London, Eastern Cape
Programme Director
Rand Water Programme Managers Energy and Water SETA Facilitators The Media houses
Government Officials Our Guests the Trainees
Ladies and gentlemen allow me to greet you all this morning on behalf of the Department of Water and Sanitation.
Let me also welcome all our trainees to this work readiness session. This session is aimed at preparing yourselves for the full training programme on War on Leaks.
Today, 28 September 2015 we are gathered here in East London as part of the national launch of the training programme on War on Leaks.
This is a follow up to the National War on Leaks Programme Launch held in Port Elizabeth on 28 August 2015.
Today, in the nine provinces of South Africa, the 3000 trainees selected for the first intake are now going through this orientation programme for training in their respective homes.
Indeed in Port Elizabeth we were an army of 3000 Water Agents, Plumbers and Artisans and now we have been reduced to the fraction of that to ease learning and training.
Ladies and gentlemen your colleagues and friends made in the launch in Port Elizabeth are now seated like you here in the various locations and centres in the country. For example here in the Eastern Cape, we have a similar centre in Port Elizabeth, Queenstown, Mthatha and in other areas.
With this training programme launch, the War on Leaks has began. Your are now expected to play your individual roles and responsibilities in ensuring that we succeed in the fight against water leaks.
This programme is as a result of our realisation that South Africa in a water scarce country, there is a huge shortage of technical skills and our municipalities continue to lose R 7, 2 billion a year.
Your participation in this programme is a call to you individually to make a difference in the water conservation and demand management.
Beyond this training programme we want to see qualified Water Agents making a difference by educating communities to use water sparingly and efficiently.
We also expect to see more dedicated employees and business people playing a significant role in helping communities reduce drastically water leaks and the R 7, 2 billion cost we lose per year.
As the nation and all the people of South Africa as we provide you with this training opportunity we also expect of you to accept this task with both hands and perform it with great distinction.
The successful people in the whole world are those who take their responsibilities seriously and work very hard in the performance thereof.
You are the pioneers of this programme the taste of it will be heard from you. We therefore call upon you as we have done to many others before you to help our country move forward through this programme.
In the 1940s we called upon the Mandelas, the Sisulus, the Mbekis, the Tambos and many young people of that time to help form a vibrant and dynamic ANC Youth wing.
In the 1960s we called once upon to established the glorious peoples arm, Umkhonto WeSizwe in all these situations they heeded our call and performed it par excellence.
I am sure you will agree with me that when South Africa lost against Japan 34 - 32 the whole nation was saddened. This weekend's victory of 46 - 6 against Samoa has brought peace and happiness amongst South Africans.
We now call upon you to do your best and be our heroes and save water in order to save lives in many years to come. Always think of ''What if it was the last drop?"
Ladies and gentlemen the nation has now turned their hopes to you and the onus is now on you to fulfil these wishes.
This learning and training programme will be enjoyed by all when we work together. Working together means participating in all sessions, responding to tasks allocated, respecting each other and cooperation amongst us for the good of us all.
As believers and the children of God please sing aloud and tell God that "There is a race that I must run. Give me power to be through". Please make that your daily prayer. Amen.
In conclusion, I want to congratulate our trainees for accepting this calling. Secondly I want to thank Rand Water for steering this ship up to this point, without them we would not be where we are today.
Lastly I want to thank the Energy and Water Services Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) for developing the course content and their willingness to oversee the course offerings, modification and management of the entire training programme.
Thank you very much.
