Project Lungisa, a partnership between Theewaterskloof Municipality and Coca Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA), has been building skills over the past few months and supports the rehabilitation of water infrastructure.
As part of Project Lungisa, nine people from the Grabouw community were identified and underwent intensive theoretical and practical training in plumbing, before being deployed to repair leaks in informal settlement areas in Grabouw.
This is a structured, ongoing water leaks repair and maintenance programme run under the supervision of the municipality.
At the end of June the nine members of Project Lungisa graduated from the programme and are now ready to run their own plumbing-repair businesses, servicing the local community and surrounding areas.
Joanna Visagie, Theewaterkloof Municipality’s Sustainable Development Manager, said: “Water losses occur largely as a result of ageing water network infrastructure, illegal connections and vandalism to facilities and infrastructure.
“It is important that we have an active programme to address incidents of leaks when they occur, to ensure water wastage is limited. Project Lungisa helps us achieve that, and this is such an important initiative we have embarked on with CCBSA.”
The project forms part of the municipality’s Expanded Public Works Programme, and Visagie says it was one of the first where there has been a tangible transfer of skills training and the equipment required to become self-sustaining.
“The graduates have been exposed and have been tested in a real-life environment. Their newfound skills have been put to good use to address water-related infrastructure challenges.”