We must also acknowledge our many successes and exceptional, everyday South Africans like Dan Naidoo who spend their days working to ensure that the quality of life of all South Africans improves because of how he chooses to live and work.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (08 April 2022) – There is a piece of folklore that most Londoners – or happily-returned-ex-London-Saffers like me – know; London municipal water has made its way through at least seven other Londoners on its journey to your Wimbledon tap. Now I am sure this isn’t true, but what if?
Here in South Africa, we have many issues that demand our attention. Water quality is not one of them, particularly in urban areas. Listening to a recent radio interview on SAfm, I learned that Rand Water, which delivers water to 19 million South Africans, is better for your health than bottled mineral water.
This brings me to my friend and colleague Dan Naidoo. Dan works for Umgeni Water, a State-Owned Enterprise that enables bulk water supply to an area of KZN bigger than Portugal. Dan is an engineer by qualification and trade, but what best qualifies him to do the job he has done with such distinction for many years, is his belief that water is akin to life and dignity. His “why”? To play his part in ensuring that all of us have a stable supply of high-quality water delivered to our homes or at the very least, to a point no further than 200m from our home. He is part of a great post-apartheid success story; 93% of South Africans have access to water up from 66% in 1995. But people like Dan wouldn’t look at the 93%. They would make the 7% their life’s mission.
As an example of this, there is a small settlement near my home called Nthuli Village that has been approved for low-cost housing. However, there is a hold-up; they need reticulated water before construction will begin. I called Dan and although it is not Umgeni Water’s mandate to do the reticulation (they do bulk water provision) he agreed that the situation needed our collective attention. From his wealth of experience and knowledge, he asked some good questions of the right people and now we know what we all needed to know; the pipeline that will supply water to Nthuli Village will be complete by mid-year.
The media feeds us with a daily diet of self-centred leadership, mismanagement, laziness, ineptitude, and corruption – especially at State-Owned Enterprises. All of it must be exposed.
But we must also acknowledge our many successes and exceptional, everyday South Africans like Dan Naidoo who spend their days working to ensure that the quality of life of all South Africans improves because of how he chooses to live and work. Dan simply uses what he has in his hands – his job, his knowledge, his experience – to play his part in improving lives.
We all have something in our hands that we can do however big or small.
Let’s be like Dan.