Water in South Africa is a scarcity and is regarded as a precious life source.
Johannesburg Water is entrusted with ensuring that residents have clean drinking water and that our toilets are able to be flushed. Have you ever wondered how they do this and who does it?
Meet Morongwa Machweu, who works as a civil engineering technician for the water utility, who explained how she does her job under all that pressure.
After receiving a six-month bursary from the utility, which included work experience, Machweu said that after completing her B-tech diploma in civil engineering at the Tshwane University of Technology, she waited until a post became available at Johannesburg Water and applied because she simply loves working with water.
“My father is in construction and the more he told me about his job the more interested I became and saw it as a challenge, especially because there aren’t that many women in the industry,” she said.
The North Riding resident, who hails from Limpopo, explained that her job entails quite a lot of project management. If the project is not an urgent one she usually receives a work request and will begin to investigate further. “I have to look at the viability of the proposed project, which includes pipe replacement, ensuring that pipes are still in good condition and can carry the required capacity,” she explained.
She added that after carrying out her own assessment she then calls a meeting with all relevant stakeholders within the water utility where the project will further be discussed and the budget and timeline allocated, and that is when the real work begins.
When Machweu works onsite, she must deal with the contractors and ensure that deadlines are met. “The only problem that I face when onsite is that the residents insist on going over my head – if they speak to me straight, I would be able to solve the problem much faster,” she said
Being a woman in a male-dominated industry has its challenges but she meets her challenges head-on. She has dreams of owning her own fashion house and plans on studying towards that. “In 10 years’ time I see myself working as an engineering consultant while managing my own fashion house,” she said.
