The Tshwane Metro has deployed 24 newly trained artisans to municipal facilities as part of a programme to speed up basic maintenance, improve safety and reduce reliance on external contractors.

The artisans, including plumbers, electricians and welders, are part of the newly launched Amabutho 2 Facilities Maintenance programme and will handle minor repairs across the city.
They are graduates of the Tshwane Local Government Skills Academy and will be deployed to facilities managed through the city’s Regional Operations Centres.

MMC for Corporate and Shared Services Flora Monama said the facilities include parks and horticulture depots, roads and stormwater depots, libraries, community halls, museums and indoor and outdoor sports and recreation facilities.

“The programme is based on the principle that municipal skills should be used internally where the required capacity exists to carry out basic and minor technical maintenance,” said Monama.

She said the programme was expected to generate annual savings of between R6-million and R9-million by expanding the city’s internal maintenance capacity.

Plumbers will be responsible for cleaning roof gutters and downpipes, repairing leaking pipes, geysers and taps, unblocking drains, toilets and sewer lines, and inspect water pipes and geysers to identify leaks before they worsen.

“Electricians will attend to faulty or unsafe electrical installations, inspect wiring, test for earth leakage and replace basic components, including light bulbs, switches, plugs, circuit breakers and wires where appropriate.”

Welders will inspect steel structures at municipal facilities and repair damaged gates, perimeter fencing and park play equipment.

Monama added that the work would help keep municipal facilities safe, functional and accessible while supporting compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and relevant facilities regulations.

According to Monama, the programme will initially exclude carpentry, painting and tiling because the skills academy does not currently offer these trades.

She said maintenance work would be allocated according to each artisan’s qualifications, skills and the technical requirements of the job at hand.

“The programme’s performance will be measured through maintenance turnaround times, the condition of facilities, safety improvements, quality of work and financial efficiencies,” said Monama.

She added that artisans would require appropriate tools, supervision and operational support to carry out the programme’s maintenance tasks successfully.
Management, Regional Operations Centres, facility managers and technical teams will work together to identify and prioritise maintenance needs.

Monama said the appointments formed part of the metro’s efforts to strengthen its internal workforce and make greater use of skills developed through its own training institution.

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