• The water and sanitation department says there is very little input from Cuban engineers.
• The ministry said it would oppose an urgent application for solidarity to be heard next month.
• Solidarity wants the court to issue a ban that prevents Cuban engineers from working in the country.

The Department of Water and Sanitation opposes a court application by union solidarity to cancel the placement of engineers from Cuba, South Africa.

In a statement on Saturday, the ministry said it was pleased to address all concerns raised by the union.

“The department repeats that the Cuban engineer’s input in the department’s work is very minimal and is only part of the technical engineering work performed by the department. Their presence is the department’s technical engineering. The purpose is to support and complement the work of the EPA. [Engineering Profession Act] And ECSA [Engineering Council of South Africa] Do not ban the use of foreign engineers by South African entities or government departments. “

Solidarity said it had met with department officials asking them to suspend the program and presented a list of 132 engineers who believed they could do the job.

Read | Cuban Engineers Transfer Water, Sanitation Skills Not Owned by SA Engineers-Thisle

Department officials demanded an opportunity to present alternatives, and the deadline was extended twice, but the proposal was not received, the union said.

According to the ministry, a virtual meeting was held last week in which the union raised questions and the authorities answered.

“One of the key questions raised in connection with the EPA’s registration rules. In this case, the department states that it is aware of the EPA’s registration rules and notes that the ECSA has not yet mandated engineering professionals. You can register with the council. Therefore, as far as the secondment of Cuban engineers in South Africa was concerned, there was no need to ensure legal compliance. “

Solidarity filed an urgent application, demanded a ban on Pretoria’s Gauteng High Court to prevent Cuban engineers from working on South African water infrastructure, and made payments in connection with an agreement between the government and Cuba. I asked not to be broken.

The union’s CEO, Dirk Hermann, said “engineer imports” were exorbitant when voluntary engineer knowledge, abilities and certifications became available domestically.

Read | Cuban engineers do not undertake local jobs, says Thistle

Hermann said in a statement Wednesday:

These Cuban engineers are not certified in South Africa. Our taxes can rather be used to hire our own engineers and workers.The minister cannot watch [of Water and Sanitation Lindiwe Sisulu] Waste resources through her irrational decisions. Our priority is to promote the interests of South African workers.

Sisulu announced last month that 24 Cuban engineers will arrive in the country to transfer their knowledge and skills in water and sanitation. She added that this was because Cuban engineers had specialized skills that South African engineers did not have.

This issue was set up for a court hearing on June 1.

Source: News24