Page 150 - UGU Dstrct Mun IDP Report '21-22

Furthermore, the prevalent poor socio-economic conditions severely impinge on the youth’s holistic wellbeing and further exacerbate their vulnerability to peer pressure, substance abuse, crime, and ill-health.
In response to the host of challenges that are identified by the youth policy framework, six strategic interventions are proposed as follows:
• Social Cohesion;
• Education, Training and Skills Development;
• Economic Development and Transformation;
• Health and Social Well-being;
• Arts and Culture;
The Municipality has a total number of five (05) departments namely Corporate Services, Water Services, Economic Development & Environmental Services (EDES), Office of the Municipal Manager and Budget & Treasury Office. The total number of workforce in the Municipality is 777 employees.
The municipality’s core function is the provision of Water and Sanitation services to the Ugu District communities. Over the years the Municipality has been faced with challenges of water shortage supply in different communities that it is servicing. The Municipality has hence identified the aging infrastructure & maintenance of same as the reasons for this challenge.
In addressing these challenges after the Municipality has identified the causes, it became evident that there are key critical skills that are required to overcome these challenges, which the Municipality needs being the following:
Skill Required
Current Status
Function
Intervention
Water and Environmental Engineer
The Municipality has no Water & Environment Engineer.
Stormwater hydraulics, design of hydraulic structures, hydrology water services, water quality and treatment
The Municipality needs to employ a Water & Environmental Engineer, that will be responsible for this function; with financial challenges that the Municipality is faced with, it is difficult to get this resource
Systems Technicians
The Municipality has one (1) Systems Technician to cover the entire District from Area North to Area South - West.
Operates the water distribution and treatment systems, checks operations of valves, pressure regulators and pumps.
The Municipality should employ more Systems Technicians; with the financial challenges that the Municipality is faced with, it is difficult to get these resources
Leak Detection and PRV Specialist
The Municipality has Leak Detection equipment but there is no one (1) with the skill and knowhow on how to use this equipment.
Check and identify water loss, where it is lost, and the amount of water lost.
The Municipality should train unemployed youth within the
4 Local Municipalities of the District to assist in the curbing of water loss which will mean that we need to engage about 150 interns to be trained and be recruited and placed to all the 4 Local Municipalities of uGu but divided proportionally.
Instrument Technician
The Municipality has one (1) Instrument Technician to cover the entire District from Area North to Area South - West.
Check the Water levels on reservoirs and switch on pumps when there is electricity failure
The Municipality should employ more Instrument Technicians; with the financial challenges that the Municipality is faced with, it is difficult to get these resources.
Infrastructure Maintenance Specialist
There is no one (1) who is looking the Instructure be pro active in advising when should it be change before it is no longer functioning.
Check and monitor infrastructure that will need to be replaced and how it will possibly cost the Municipality and how long will it take.
The Municipality should change the current aging infrastructure and employ an Infrastructure Maintenance Specialist.
148 UGU DISCTRICT MUNICIPALITY