The Bill of Rights in the South African Constitution considers the access to “sufficient water” a fundamental human right. It is, however, equally important to curb water wastage, which often occurs through leaking taps and toilets in residences as well as commercial properties.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), in partnership with Theewaterskloof Municipality (TWKM) and housing-fixture manufacturer Lixil, offered its first week-long basic-plumbing course for unemployed youth in Caledon in February. (“Youth learn plumbing skills”, Hermanus Times, 19 February 2025). A group of about 50 young people from Grabouw graduated from the DWS’s second basic-plumbing training course. Of sgnificance was that 45 of these young people were women.
The training programme, which is spearheaded by the DWS and TWKM, aims to address water wastage by equipping local young people with the knowledge and expertise to tackle basic plumbing challenges.
This initiative forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen water conservation through essential skills development.
Solile Somawo, Western Cape Head of Capacity Building and Support, said: “This municipality (TWKM) has very high water losses, and hence we came up with this intervention, among others. We hope the municipality will use the services of these graduates effectively to lessen the water they use and save money. This initiative is designed to create a ‘water-conservation army’, a skilled group of individuals who can help prevent water loss and support the municipality in maintaining water efficiency.”
The young people were not only given practical training, but were also equipped with the business side of plumbing in order to work for themselves since the municipality would not be able to employ all of them. Soon after completing the course the class got its first job from the department, when a team of 14 women was chosen to fix the toilets of the municipality, which had been leaking for a while. The team was compensated for the job immediately and, according to Somawo, the aim was to show what they could expect once they started their own business.
Such an initiative not only empowers youth with employable skills but also directly contributes to water-conservation efforts in the region. This training programme will also be offered in Villiersdorp in the next few months.
