SA workers will not be replaced by Cuban Engineers

South African workers are afraid of losing their jobs as Cuban Water engineers are coming to South Africa to help fix the Water Infrastructure. But Edna Molewa- the Water Affairs Minister said yesterday that the Cuban water engineers were not coming to steal South African jobs.

According to an agreement  signed by Molewa with the Cuban counterpart, Ines Chapman Waugh on September 9, 34 Cubans will come to South Africa to help in fixing water infrastructure.

Molewa said that South Africans were lacking good skills which proposed to sign an agreement.

“A gap is seen between the skills capacity of the water sector and the economy as a whole. The energy and the water sector has a skills gap of about 3000 engineers. The assistance of the Cuban water experts will not make much difference with such huge lack of skills.”

She added further that “This agreement with Cuba will also make the pairing of these engineers with young South African engineering students.”  

So, by the time Cuban engineers leave the students will develop a sufficient skill power in them and narrow the skills gap upto possible extent - Molewa Said.

Anthony Turton- an independent water resource scientist said that “There were times when enough SA engineers were available to help solve the problems with water structure.”

But the white engineer were moved out of the public sector and were working as a private contractors by selling their skills at the rate which was four or five times as much higher than they would have earned in the state employment.

Molewa said that her department was trying hard to fill up these skills gap, instead of discouraging such initiatives the community should collaborate in encouraging them to take forward such initiatives.