Regulars

Editor Kirsten Kelly kirsten.kelly@3smedia.co.za Managing Editor Alastair Currie Head of Design Beren Bauermeister Chief Sub-editor Tristan Snijders Contributors Tinashe Chipako, Lester Goldman, Lina Lukusa, Dan Naidoo

Operations & Production Manager Antois-Leigh Nepgen Production Coordinator Jacqueline Modise Distribution Manager Nomsa Masina Distribution Coordinator Asha Pursotham

Group Sales Manager Chilomia Van Wijk Bookkeeper Tonya Hebenton Advertising Sales Hanlie Fintelman c +27 (0)67 756 3132 Hanlie.Fintelman@3smedia.co.za

Publisher Jacques Breytenbach 3S Media 46 Milkyway Avenue, Frankenwald, 2090 PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 www.3smedia.co.za

ISSN: 1990 - 8857 Annual subscription: R330 (SA rate) subs@3smedia.co.za Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. All articles herein are

copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publishers. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Water Institute of Southern Africa or the publishers.

WISA’s Vision

Inspiring passion for water

WISA Contacts: HEAD OFFICE Tel: 086 111 9472(WISA) Fax: +27 (0)11 315 1258 Physical address: 1stFloor, Building 5, Constantia Park, 546 16th Road, Randjiespark Ext 7, Midrand Website: www.wisa.org.za

BRANCHES Central Branch (Free State, Northern Cape, North West) Chairperson: Dr Leana Esterhuizen Company: Central University of Technology Tel: +27 (0)51 507 3850 Email: lesterhu@cut.ac.za

Eastern Cape: Branch Contact: Dan Abrahams Company: Aurecon Tel: +27 (0)41 503 3929 Cell: +27 (0) 81 289 1624 Email: Dan.Abraham@aurecongroup.com

Gauteng Branch Lead: Zoe Gebhardt Cell: +27 (0)82 3580876 Email: zoe.gebhardt@gmail.com

KwaZulu-Natal Chairperson: Lindelani Sibiya Company: Umgeni Water Cell: +27 (0)82 928 1081 Email: lindelani.sibiya@umgeni.co.za

Limpopo Chairperson: Mpho Chokolo Company: Lepelle Northern Water Cell: +27 (0)72 310 7576 Email: mphoc@lepelle.co.za

Mpumalanga Chairperson: Lihle Mbatha (Acting) Company: Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency Tel: +27 (0)13 753 9000 Email: mbathat@iucma.co.za

Western Cape Chairperson: Natasia van Binsbergen Company: AL Abbott & Associates Tel: +27 (0)21 448 6340 Cell: +27 (0)83 326 3887 Email: natasia@alabbott.co.za

Namibia Please contact the WISA Head Office on admin@wisa.org.za for more information

Collaboration key to tackling water crisis

This issue places a special focus on automation, Industry 4.0 and IoT. As we explore the many benefits that different technologies bring to our sector, one word keeps appearing – collaboration.

Collaboration is crucial when tackling the water crisis, and it needs to happen at multiple levels and across multiple sectors. After all, everyone has a right to clean water and sanitation, and everyone is affected by a lack of clean water and sanitation. Nobody can solve the water crisis on their own.

In his column in this issue, Dan Naidoo, chairman of WISA, notes that it was through collaboration that we have slowed the spread of Covid-19, and it was through collaboration that vaccines were developed in record time. If only we could collaborate to solve the water crisis.

Professor Annie Bekker comments that digital twins in the water sector bring together diverse skills of specialisation that are both a huge advantage and a disadvantage. A digital twin is difficult to implement because it requires a vast amount in interdisciplinary knowledge and complexity – much like solving the water crisis.

In our governance and funding feature, the need for collaboration is again highlighted. Nedbank mentions that many other factors – over and above the technical aspects – need to be considered when creating a bankable water project. A multidisciplinary team is needed. Nedbank, the Development Bank of Southern Africa and WSP mention the need for more public-private partnerships (PPPs) but also comment on the difficulty experienced when trying to get PPPs off the ground.

Redeem Ngadze, senior client coverage banker: Power and Infrastructure at Nedbank, believes that the solution for the water crisis does not only sit with government – there has to be collaboration between the private and public sectors.

Stranger than fiction This is certainly true, but then one needs to ask the question: why is government making important decisions without consulting the private sector? The importation of 24 Cuban engineers at a cost of R64 million is one example. This makes little sense (other than political), considering we have some of the best trained engineers on the African continent. And it makes no educational sense, since engineers from outside the country need to be registered with ECSA or supervised by a registered engineer – the latter requirement defeating the apparent ‘skills transfer’ purpose of the Cuban visitors.

After making this decision, Minister Sisulu then asks South African professionals in the water sector to engage with government on an ongoing basis. It is all quite bizarre.

Collaboration is the act of working together to make unified decisions, to achieve one common goal. We need better collaboration in our sector and it is disheartening to see the public and private sector on different pages. There is one fact that everyone can agree upon: we are facing a water crisis and we all need water to survive.

Promoting professional excellence in the water sector

The official magazine of the Water Institute of Southern Africa

Water &Sanitation

Complete water resource and wastewater management Africa

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