(1) (a)(i) A total of 10469 learners were recruited for the War on Leaks Programme. It should however be noted that 1445 learners were lost to attrition.
(ii) A total of 148 water agents and artisans are currently employed on a permanent basis by national government departments and entities, municipalities and private companies.
(b) The learners were trained as follows:
(2) There are still 3117 learners remaining in the system who are expected to complete the programme in 2020.
Attempts were made to attach learners that completed the programme to municipalities but the uptake from the municipalities has been limited. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is exploring various opportunities to place learners that have completed the programme as follows: