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to unlock projects and improve infrastructure spend and Importing Cuban engineers is short-sighted -
infrastructure delivery, which is necessary to alleviate CESA
inequality, poverty and unemployment.
Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) is appalled
and shocked by the actions of the Water and Sanitation
CESA’s Acting CEO Wallace Mayne says that the
Department who are importing 35 Cuban engineers,
workload of engineering consultants is two thirds
seconded to South Africa for a two-year term to share
government work and a third is private sector work.
their expertise with their counterparts in the South
African water sector.
The lack of engineering skills within government leads to
blocked project pipeline, poorly packaged bids to procure
Their arrival follows a bilateral agreement between South
engineering services, delayed project implementation,
Africa and Cuba concluded in 2014 for co-operation in
inability to monitor service level agreements and
the fields of water resources management and water
implementation of projects. Consulting engineers play a
supply. Among the recruited Cuban specialists are: Civil
vital role in partnering with government as their trusted
engineers, Electrical engineers, Mechanical engineers,
advisors to ensure that sustainable solutions which
Irrigation and drainage specialists and Hydraulic
provide both quality and value are procured by the
engineers.
various departments and at the same time providing

skills transfer to mentor and train government personnel
CESA President Abe Thela warns that this practice is a
to ensure continued service delivery.
worrying trend since Cuban engineering skills are not
recognized by the Engineering Council of South Africa
“We have to reinstate the technical management
because they are not part of the Washington Accord
capacity within government. There are enough
that governs international engineering qualifications.
engineering skills within the country to cope with the
infrastructure workload,” avers Mayne.
“Our member firms are currently only being 60% utilised
and have 40% spare capacity while they are waiting for
He argues that the slow release of infrastructure
the Government to bring projects on stream,” cautions
projects is as a result of lack of technical skills in the
Thela.
government.
It has been a sore point for CESA that the three levels
“CESA member firms are readily available to
of government have acute shortages in the area of
partner with government to ensure that the project
technically qualified managers. Bringing in non-English
pipeline is unblocked, critical skills are transferred
speaking Cuban engineers is not a long term solution,
to the government, which will lead to service delivery
since they will be here for only two years.
imperatives being met and the quality of the lives of the
people of South Africa improved,” concludes Mayne.
“Our suggestion is that government makes use of
South African engineers and consulting engineering
firms to address this acute shortage of skills in the
public sector. CESA has over 500 member firms that
are qualified, professionally registered and have
high ethical standards and integrity to accelerate the
development of infrastructure and in particular assist in
the development of competent municipal engineers in
the long term,” says Thela.
He adds that bringing Infrastructure Development
projects on stream will create more jobs, enable
experiential training and accelerate service delivery
imperatives.

CESA with the backing of its member firms recommits

6 Wallace Mayne (CESA Acting CEO)