The Department of Water and Sanitation says Cuban experts in the water and sanitation sector, which have been contracted to work in South Africa for two years, continue to be productive.

The Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane welcomed the Cuban water experts to the country on 16 February 2015 to share their expertise with their counterparts in the South African water and sanitation sector.

Their arrival followed a bilateral agreement between South Africa and Cuba in 2014 on co-operation in the fields of water resources management and water supply.

In October 2014, Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister Pam Tshwete went to Cuba on behalf of Minister Mokonyane to ratify the agreement and to appoint the water experts.

The specialists have been contracted to work in South Africa for two years with the possibility of extending their stay by another year.

Among the recruited Cuban specialists are civil engineers, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, irrigation and drainage specialists, as well as hydraulic engineers.

The specialists are deployed in various provinces throughout the country where they share their skills to improve the quality of water.

“The department is confident that the colleagues from Cuba have been a boon to the sector and the country will be richer for their contribution,” the department said.