engineering 10
E N G I N E E R I N G
South Africa is leading Africa in terms of be done to facilitate professional man-
physical infrastructure for water, sanita- agement and oversight. A good example
tion, health, transport, energy and indus- of such an undertaking is Rand Water that
trial plants. A very significant challenge is has over many years supplied the Wit-
to maintain existing infrastructure, while
watersrand and surroundings with high-
broadening access and service delivery to
quality drinking water. The recently an-
all the people of South Africa. This must
nounced performance management of
be done within a young democratic dis-
political office-bearers should promote
pensation where political decision-ma-
greater accountability and a more long-
kers in many cases lack the experience to
term view.
appreciate the long-term implications of
decisions regarding the operation, main-
The further development of water resour-
tenance and expansion of infrastructure.
ces to service the growing needs of agri-
For instance, significant progress has been
cultural, industrial and domestic users must
made to broaden access to quality drink-
be a priority, but in the longer term, South
ing water, with an increase in the percen-
Africa will have to confront the fact that it
tage of people with access to an improved
has limited water resources. The Lesotho
water source increasing from 83% in
Highlands Scheme to supplement the water
1990 to 88% in 2004. Similarly, significant
supply to the Witwatersrand metropolitan
progress has been made with providing
area is relatively unique in the world, in that
housing and electrification. The operation
it entails the structured transfer of water
and maintenance of water and waste wa-
ter infrastructure has, however, in specific
over an international boundary to allow the
instances sadly deteriorated to such an ex-
further development of this heavily indus-
tent, that it now poses a threat to public
trialised but water-constrained area. Water
health. This is reflected in a recent study
resources may also be utilised to decrease
conducted by the South African Institute
dependency on fossil fuels for energy.
of Civil Engineering (SAICE) on the qua-
While South Africa has rather limited possi-
lity of South Africa’s infrastructure in which
bilities for the development of hydropower,
public-sector infrastructure was graded
it has in the past played a significant role in
on a scale from A (very good) to E (very
the development of the Cahora Bassa dam
poor). Highest scores were reported for air-
in Mozambique, which has some further
ports ( B good), while urban areas generally
potential. The Inga River in the Democratic
scored fair (C) on most infrastructure, with
Republic of the Congo has huge further
rural areas receiving scores of D (poor), and
potential for hydropower that is presently
E (very poor) for sanitation. It is clear that
being evaluated by a group of southern
drastic measures will have to be taken to
African countries. Several pumped-storage
reverse this trend, by for instance insisting schemes are operated in South Africa to op-
that professional engineers be appointed timise the operation of base-load thermal
to oversee critical infrastructure, and that stations by catering for peak loads.
consolidation of services into viable units
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