Why SA is calling on Cuba, come hell or high water

Rivers running down streets, cavernous holes outside houses, and buckets next to toilets. These are just some of the sights that Glenhazel residents have become all-too-well acquainted with over the past few weeks.

Speaking to ChaiFM, Lionel Greenberg, the councillor for Ward 72 in the City of Johannesburg, said problems with water delivery in the city had been lying dormant under our feet for years, and had become “malignant”.

“An amount of R170 billion would be required to repair water and electricity infrastructure in the City of Johannesburg. This could take 10 to 15 years to do”, Greenberg said.

Glenhazel is a microcosm of what’s happening in neighbourhoods and towns across the country.

“Climate change, population growth, and lack of investment is putting increasing pressure on South Africa’s water resources,” said Michael Kransdorff, the chairperson of the Jewish National Fund (JNF) in South Africa, a leading international Jewish environmental organisation.

“Recognising that water is the next big crisis we face, the JNF has sought to facilitate the sharing of Israeli water expertise in South Africa. To this end, we have organised tours of Israel, the world leader in water management, and hosted local conferences. We are holding a water webinar with international thought leaders on Thursday at 19:00, called “Hell or high water: the untold story of how Israel is sharing her water miracle with South Africa”.

Nevertheless, the South Africa government seems hell bent on relying on the expertise of Cuba, not Israel, to provide solutions to our water problems. It has seconded the help of 24 Cuban engineers at a cost of R64 million to assist it to implement a sustainable water delivery system.

But the true state of Cuba’s water infrastructure leaves a lot to be desired. Years of political malaise, sanctions, drought, and infrastructure decay, have made clean running water a rarity for many Cubans.

Only 11% of the country’s population of 11.2 million receive piped water at home 24 hours a day. For more than 50% of households, water is available only sporadically, typically receiving about two hours of running water every five days.

That’s to say nothing about the drinkability of the water. In many areas, chemicals aren’t available for water purification, resulting in carnivorous fish being used to eat the parasite-carrying mosquito larvae that can be found in drinking water.

Just last week (29 April 2021), Cape Town residents were advised by the city “to refrain from drinking municipal water until further notice” due to a strange metallic taste and earthy smell. Perhaps those Cuban fish will come in handy.

In spite of the shocking conditions in Cuba, the South African government still chose the small, undeveloped nation over the world-class assistance that many countries, particularly Israel, can offer.

“There are many benefits South Africa could gain by partnering with Israel”, said Kransdorff. “It has become the world leader in water management and conservation, which we will be showcasing with Israel chief water engineer Doron Markel and New York Times bestselling author Seth Siegal in the upcoming JNF webinar.”

When Jewish settlers first arrived in Israel in the early part of the 20th century, they came upon a wildly undeveloped, dry landscape with little evidence of modern water and sanitation infrastructure. Fast forward 75 years, and Israel is fulfilling the biblical prophecy of making the desert bloom. Through the 230 reservoirs that the JNF has built, as much as 85% of Israel’s water is reused. Compare that with the next runner-up – Spain – which reclaims only 19% of its water, and Cuba’s 4%.

Israel is also home to the largest and most complex desalination plant in the world. This technology alone would have saved the South African economy upwards of R5 billion during the drought of 2017 to 2018.

Israel has always gladly offered its expertise to other countries, especially in Africa. One such example is Innovation: Africa, a non-profit organisation that has brought Israeli technology to more than 300 rural villages across the continent, providing electricity and clean water to more than 1.8 million people. This remarkable achievement has led Innovation: Africa founder Sivan Ya’ari to be ranked by Forbes as one of the 50 most influential women in Israel. She will be sharing this story of Israeli water collaboration in the upcoming JNF webinar.

Another example of Israeli expertise in developing successful water catchment areas and agriculture is found in the Turkana region of Kenya. Before this, water issues, unhealthy soil, and drought prevented the region from developing its agriculture. The health deficits in surrounding communities were insurmountable. Now, the Arava International Center for Agricultural Training, supported by the JNF, teaches hundreds of students and policymakers modern techniques of agriculture and water conservation. A total of 132 successful farms have been established in Kenya since the collaboration began in 2015.

Projects like these would greatly benefit South Africa’s agricultural industry, water management, conservation efforts, and rural communities.

Kransdorff concludes that “come hell or high water, the South African government seems determined to pay a failed state with a poor human rights record like Cuba to fix our water problems, but not to accept the generous help of Israel, the world’s leader in water management”. Nevertheless, JNF South Africa isn’t deterred from showcasing Israeli environmental achievements and facilitating the sharing of Israeli know-how and technology in South Africa.

• For more information about the webinar, as well as how to get involved, contact the JNF on 011 645 2579. To register for the webinar: https://www.sazf.org/hell-or-high-water.