Jacques van der Merwe - Gamtoos Irrigation Board
After almost 29 years of service at the Department of Water Affairs in Cradock and turning the “Big 5-0”, Jacques van der Merwe has taken the leap and exchanged one farming community for another – in this case, the picturesque Gamtoos Valley.
The move follows his appointment in May as the new chief operations officer at the Gamtoos Irrigation Board (GIB) in Patensie.
“I was surprised at how things changed in the blink of an eye. This was not what my wife, Rachelle, and I had in mind for this stage of our lives. But I strongly believe if God wants you to be somewhere, things will fall in place,” Jacques says.
Jacques is, however, no stranger to the GIB, having been involved with the auditing and implementation of the scheme’s policies since the nineties, and over the past five years he also worked closely with former CEO Pierre Joubert and his team.
“In Cradock, I was involved with the legal, technical and administrative side of water, but now I will be working more hands-on on the civil side. I have to admit that I am very excited to be in the syphons myself.”
This engineer with a passion for water is also an advocate!
“I dealt extensively with water rights at the Department of Water Affairs and wanted to become more knowledgeable about the rules to gain a better understanding,” he explains.
Jacques, who was born and bred in Cradock, matriculated at Cradock High School in 1987. After serving for two years in the army, he completed his diploma in civil engineering at the Port Elizabeth Technikon. He wasted no time in getting a job and started as a trainee technician at the Department of Water Affairs in Cradock in 1990.
In 1994, he completed his BTech and married Rachelle.
“I worked at Water Affairs for almost 29 years, but never did the same work for more than three years. All in all, it was a very stimulating experience.
“Water is a very complex field, but it is my true passion. I did my LLB degree part-time through Unisa to get a better understanding of the legal rights of water.”
He graduated in 2012, and in 2014 he was admitted to the roll of advocates in Grahamstown (now Makhanda). He has also been registered as a technological engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) since 2016.
He says the greatest challenge for the GIB is to focus on the best way to get the longest lifetime out of the system.
“Maintenance with the emphasis on the long term must be done with ongoing monitoring, vision and projection. The GIB has done a great job so far and it is now my responsibility to take it further with the team.”
Jacques foresees more water restrictions in the future.
“Water is not just a given. The management of our water resources poses a great challenge,” he says.
“I am looking forward to meeting and working closely with the farmers of the Gamtoos Valley. Patensie is a warm community with people who live close to nature and God. I already feel right at home and look forward to spending some years here.”
His wife and youngest daughter are remaining in Cradock for the time being. Rachelle works in the office at Cradock Primary School and Rozelma is a grade 11 pupil at Cradock High School.
Their twin daughters are second-year university students, with Danexé studying optometry in Bloemfontein, and Jenique speech therapy in Stellenbosch.
Jacques dreams of writing a book about water rights.
“I want to share the vast knowledge I gained through my work experience. Maybe it will even go hand in hand with another degree! There is very little knowledge about the theory, as well as the implementation of water rights in practice, in our country.”
“My motto is: It is never too late. So, at 50, I begin a new life!”
Jacques van der Merwe het vir byna 29 jaar by die Departement van Waterwese op Cradock gewerk en nou net duskant sy 50ste verjaardag, het hy die geleentheid aangegryp om die een boeregemeenskap vir ’n ander – die Gamtoosvallei – te verruil.
Die groot skuif kom nadat hy in Mei vanjaar as die hoof-operasionele beampte by die Gamtoosbesproeiingsraad (GBR) op Patensie aangestel is.
“Ek was self uiters verras met die vinnige skuif. Dit was geensins deel van my en my vrou, Rachelle, se toekomsbeplanning nie, maar ek glo as God jou êrens wil gebruik, dan sal als in plek val,” sê Jacques.
Hy is darem nie heeltemal ’n vreemdeling by die GBR nie. Jacques is al van die jare negentig af betrokke by die skema se oudit en polisiëring, met ’n noemenswaardige toename in sy betrokkenheid oor die laaste vyf jaar.
“Op Cradock was my fokus meer op die regs-, tegniese en administratiewe gedeelte van water, maar nou sal ek meer prakties aan die siviele kant van sake betrokke wees. Ek is baie opgewonde om bietjie self in die duikpype te kom!”
Die ingenieur met ‘n passie vir water is boonop ook ’n advokaat van formaat.
“Ek het baie te doen gekry met waterregte by die Departement van Waterwese en wou behoorlik agter die kap van die byl kom en die reëls verstaan.”
Jacques is ’n boorling van Cradock en het in 1987 aan die Hoërskool Cradock gematrikuleer. Ná voltooiing van sy twee-jaar nasionale diensplig, het hy sy diploma in siviele ingenieurswese by die Port Elizabeth Technikon gedoen en in 1990 reeds as leerling-tegnikus by die Departement van Waterwese op Cradock begin werk.
Hy en Rachelle het in 1994 die knoop deurgehaak – dieselfde jaar as waarin hy sy BTech voltooi het.
“Ek het vir amper 29 jaar daar gewerk, maar het nooit langer as drie jaar dieselfde werk gedoen nie. Dit was ’n uiters stimulerende milieu om in te werk,” sê Jacques.
“Alhoewel water ’n baie komplekse veld is, is dit my passie. Ek het besluit om vir my eie verreiking meer kennis op te doen oor die regte van water en het gevolglik my LLB-graad deeltyds deur Unisa gedoen.”
Hy het in 2012 graad gevang en is in 2014 in Grahamstad (nou Makhanda) as advokaat ingelyf en is op die rol van advokate. Hy is ook in 2016 by die Suid-Afrikaanse Raad vir Ingenieurswese as ’n tegnologiese ingenieur geregistreer.
Volgens hom is een van die grootste uitdagings waarop die GBR moet fokus die vestiging van die mees doeltreffende manier om die langste leeftyd uit die sisteem te kry.
“Onderhoud – met die klem op langtermyn – moet met deurlopende monitering, visie en projeksie gedoen word. Die GBR het tot dusver baie goeie werk gedoen en nou rus die verantwoordelikheid op my skouers om dit verder te vat saam met die span.”
Jacques voorsien ook ’n toename in waterbeperkings in die toekoms.
“Water is nie net ’n gegewe nie. Die bestuur van ons waterbron is ‘n groot uitdaging,” sê hy.
“Ek sien daarna uit om met die boere hande te vat en nou saam te werk. Patensie is ’n warm gemeenskap met sterk gevoel van samehorigheid. Die mense hier bly naby aan die natuur en hul God. Ek voel reeds tuis en sien daarna uit om sommer jare hier te spandeer.
Sy vrou en jongste dogter woon egter vir eers nog op Cradock. Rachelle werk in die Laerskool Cradock se kantoor, en Rozelma is in graad 11 in die Hoërskool Cradock. Hul tweelingdogters is albei al tweedejaarstudente. Danexé swot optometrie in Bloemfontein en Jenique spraakterapie op Stellenbosch.
Jacques koester ook die droom om ’n boek oor waterregte te skryf.
“Ek wil graag die kennis wat ek oor die jare opgedoen het, oordra. Wie weet, dalk koppel ek dit nog aan ’n volgende graad! Daar is te min kennis oor die teorie en praktyk daarvan in ons land.”
“My nuwe leuse is: Dit is nooit te laat nie. Op 50 begin ek ’n nuwe lewe.”
Derik ThokoaneMajor project to help alleviate PE and Gamtoos valley water supply