Truth Nokwanda Mkhize
Assistant Director: Regulation, Compliance & Enforcement
Kimberley
Summary
A young, dynamic, hardworking and highly motivated and self-reliant professional with over ten (10) years working experience in Integrated Water Resource Management particularly in the fields of Water Services Regulation (Blue, Green, No Drop, IPAP) Water Quality Management, Water Use Licensing, Planning, Compliance Monitoring & Enforcement, Policy Development and Human Resource Management.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Assistant Director/EMI Grade 2 (Dir: RCE)
Department of Water and Sanitation, Northern
01.2021 - Current
- Manage ten (10) junior personnel and 2 Graduate Interns;
- Manage the Directorate’s budget;
- Drafting of the Directorate’s Business Plan and Operational plan;
- Updating of the Directorate’s Risk Assessment Matrix and compile monthly reporting for M&E
- Co-ordinate and manage the undertaking of Compliance Monitoring Audits;
- Ensure that staff personnel uploads and captures user information and audit reports on the National Compliance Information Management System;
- Co-ordinate and manage the undertaking of investigations and inspections and ensure implementation of enforcement actions (admin, civil and criminal) on non-compliant water users and unauthorized water users;
- Respond to emergency pollution or water related disaster incidents such as oil spills, burst of pollution control dams etc
- Compliance Monitoring of Water Quality Objectives in the Lower Vaal and Lower Orange
- Serve as one of the Regional office champion for the ORASECOM;
- Serve as one of the departmental champions for the EWSETA grant funding application programme for out-of-school unemployed youth for Water Services;
- Serve a member in the National Pollution Task Team
- Manage the monitoring and assessment of Water Service Institutions against Blue, Green and No-drop Certification Programmes; Assist WSIs in compiling Water Service Development Plans, Water Demand Water Conservation Strategy/Plans, GD Improvement Plans, Corrective Action Plans, Water Safety Plans and Wastewater Risk Abatement Plans and Water Balance Spreadsheets
- Attend to water and environmental pollution and emergency incidents;
- Carry out surface and groundwater quality sampling and analysis and compile result interpretations reports to inform decision making for enforcement actions
- Ensure sound protection/management of surface and groundwater resources to DWS regulatory prescripts i.e Norms and Standards, National Water Act, Water Services Act
- Carry out EMI duties and work with DFEE in the processing of Section 24G applications and monitoring of Rehabilitation of affected water resources
- Assess Municipal Business Plans for Water Sector Infrastructure Grants, Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grants;
- Participate and Present in Stakeholder Forums such as MISA, CMFs, WGVI;
- Conduct Councilor workshops on Water and Sanitation Services;
- Participate in municipal environmental planning and IDP consultation for each financial year;
- Provide technical advise/support to WSIs on policy amandement or conversion of municipal policy to by-laws;
- Attend and respond to Ministerials and National Assembly questions on any related water and sanitation matter in Northern Cape Province.
- Assisted the Director in developing innovative programs to improve students'' academic performance and retention rate.
Regulatory Inspector (Dir: Enforcement)
Department of Water and Sanitation
01.2020 - 12.2020
- Support Catchment Management Agencies (CMA), Provincial Operations (PO) and other stakeholders in investigating of Non – complaint water users
- Support Catchment Management Agencies (CMA), Provincial Operations (PO) and other stakeholders in opening of criminal cases, taking of prosecution samples and appearing in court to testify
- Support Catchment Management Agencies (CMA), Provincial Operations (PO) and other stakeholders in compiling and servicing of administrative enforcement actions
- Support Catchment Management Agencies (CMA), Provincial Operations (PO) and other stakeholders in assessment of representations (i.e
- Include Action Plans and Rehabilitation plans), ensure compliance with the National Water Act, 1998 (Act 36 of 1998)
- Support Catchment Management Agencies and Provincial Offices regarding follow up inspections on issued notices and directives to ensure the implementation of Administrative Enforcement actions
- Support Catchment Management Agencies (CMA), Provincial Operations (PO) and other stakeholders in executing the works and supporting the process of court interdict to ensure rectification of contraventions
- Uploading and creating of case files on the ECMS;
- Attend technical meetings to discuss representations submitted by transgressors to the department in response to Notices issued
- Support regions in conducting audits on Permits and Water Use Licenses to ascertain compliance with the prescribed conditions thereof across all sectors including agriculture, mining, wwtw
- Development and reviewing of the Directorate and Sub Directorate Business Plans for water resource management and compliance monitoring
Candidate Scientist (Sub Dir: Water Quality)
Department of Water & Sanitation
01.2018 - 12.2019
- Conduct River Health Monitoring Programs on a quarterly basis which includes assessing fish, vegetation and invertebrate species in the Rivers within the Pongola to Mzimkulu Water Management Area (WMA)
- Collect water quality samples for both groundwater and surface water, analyze and interpret chemistry data and complile report for management;
- Analyze Water Quality Reserves for Mfolozi to Ingwavuma sub- catchment to determine the acceptable impacts on water resources;
- Pollution control: Conducting routine inspections in Mines, Industries, Landfill sites, Wastewater Treatment Works;
- Compliance monitoring audits to ensure compliance with National Water Act and NEMA in terms of Water Use License and Existing Lawful Use permits and provide remedial actions for incidents
- Attend to emergency pollution incidents inspections;
- Respond to all waste related complaints and pollution emergency incidents, prepare incident reports and monitor remediation of affected areas
- Investigation of unlawful water use and respond to non-compliance queries
- Administrative, Criminal Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring Actions (working with SAPS, NPA, DEA (green scorpions)
- Co-operative governance and Integrated Environmental Management: Review and provide water resource-related inputs on Environmental Impact Assessments Reports (EIAs), Environmental Management Plans, Environmental Management Programs, Basic Assessment Reports (BA), Scoping Reports (SR),and external Audit ReportsAssess remediation reports for polluting mines;
- Responding immediately to emergency incidents, where the environment is contaminated, ensuring that there is a clean- up of contaminated environment (including water resource, where applicable) using a based approach in terms of Section 19 of the National Water Act, 1998 (Act No 36 of 1998) (NWA);
- Ensuring that spillages such as tanker spills are cleaned-up in accordance with NWA;
- Working with the Department of Environmental Affairs both the regional offices and head office in handling Section 24 g applicants for the rectification of unlawful commencement of activity(ies)
- Also participate as a commenting authority in the reviewing of the organization’s EMS, EMPS and EMPr in order to assist them with compliance to the legal requirements as set out by relevant environmental legislations such as NEMA and NWA
- Monitoring of Water Users and waste discharge points on monthly basis; this include but no limited to taking of water samples, analyses of sampling results and compilation of water quality reports
- Conduct environmental training and awareness to communities yearly about the importance of protecting rivers and other natural water resources from being polluted
- Also provide career guidance for careers that school learners can study if they have an interest in the water and environmental sector
- Providing inputs to the Business Plan of the Unit
- Participate in Catchment Management Forums (CMFs) and initiating Technical Meetings with a view of resolving water quality problems within the catchment;
- Participate and present at Waste Management Forums of Municipalities, Industries and Mines
- Presentation of Water Quality Status Quo of the Mfolozi to Ingwavuma Catchment; and
- Management of the Department of Water and Sanitation Clear River campaign project within Mfolozi to Pongola sub-catchment
- Processing of Water Use License Applications (WULA) and supporting documentation for Section 21 a, b, c, d, I, f and g water uses.
Candidate Scientist (Dir: Water Services Reg)
Department of Water and Sanitation
01.2015 - 12.2017
- Conduct Technical Site inspections of Water Supply Systems and Wastewater Collection Systems within the region and compile Non-Compliance Letters where necessary;
- Monitor uploading of Water Quality results by WSIs on IRIS. Where drinking water quality failures are observed, advise WSIs to issue advisory Notices;
- Participate in the Blue/Green drop assessments as an assessor;
- Monitor the monthly submission of Water Balance Spreadsheets
- Assist WSIs in compiling Water Service Development Plans, Water Demand Water Conservation Strategy/Plans, GD Improvement Plans, Corrective Action Plans, Water Safety Plans and Wastewater Risk Abatement Plans and Water Balance Spreadsheets;
- Assess GDIPs and Action Plans submitted by failing WSIs.
- Attend to drinking water quality complaints.
Graduate Trainee (Dir: Water Resource Planning)
Department of Water and Sanitation
01.2014 - 12.2014
- Conduct the investigation of the socio-economic and environmental impacts of the annual flood releases of Pongolapoort Dam in Jozini;
- Collect water quality samples before and after flood releases to determine the impact of flood releases on water quality;
- Derive adaptation strategies to be adopted by Interested & Affected Parties (I&APs);
- Conducting a detail flood plain assessment in terms of biodiversity and activities before and after the dam flood releases
- Rehabilitation of old, abandoned and defunct mines in KZN and propose remedial measures for the impacts identified;
- Pongolapoort Dam flood routing using Muskingum Routing. The project’s aim was to determine the flow volume that can reach our last gauging station on the boarder to Mozambique and the time that flow will reach Mozambique during Pongolapoort flood release using the Muskinghum routing method. A detailed site visit was conducted wherein factors that should be considered during flood routing we determined such as both hydrological, environmental and socio-economics
- Conduct monthly rainfall analysis by data requisition from source (WeatherSA), Compile spreadsheet data and graphs to update and conduct analysis; and
- Draft Monthly rainfall analysis presentation and Review comments from public
- Work with WRSM 2000, WRYM and Mike 11 models for yield projections in order to ensure management of systems.
Graduate Trainee (Dir: Environmental Engineering)
Department of Water and Sanitation
05.2013 - 12.2013
- Assist infrastructure development to implement Environmental Management Plans at their construction projects;
- Review of construction Environmental Impact Assessment authorization;
- Apply for Environmental Impact Assessment authorization for construction projects;
- Development of Resource Management Plans for each water works
- Involvement in water resources infrastructure rehabilitation projects, EIA requirements;
- Apply for Section 24G with DFFE to rectify non-compliances emanating from construction projects/dams/water works as per the NEMA listed activities;
- Management of alien plants in state dams and government water works; and
- Engagement in Public Participation Process for any proposed project such as dam wall construction, raising of dam wall, flood releases, newly proposed water transfer schemes etc;
- Support and ensure all 12 policy positions are incorporated into the final gazetted Water Amendment Bill;
- Support and assist in developing implementation monitoring framework for water policy positions and policy development;
- Identity gaps in DWS policies and work with specialists in preparing for amendments;
- Support Water Policy Impact Assessment to inform evidence based policy development;
- Render advice and support on sanitation policy and the National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS2);
- Conducting road shows on new policies and or amendments;
- Conducting Monitoring and Evaluation on newly proposed/already gazetted policies and regulations on end user.
Education
MSc - Environmental Science: Environmental Engineering
University of North West
01.2023 - 01.2024
BSc Honors - Environmental Monitoring And Modelling
University of South Africa
04.2001 -
Bachelor of Science - Environmental Science
University of Kwa-Zulu Natal
04.2001 -
Skills
- Effective Leadership
- Problem Solving
- Innovative
- Project Management
- Communication (written and verbal)
- Computer Literacy (Ms Word, Advanced Excel, Powerpoint)
- Computer Applications (GIS, IDRISI, ERDAS, IMAGINE, SAPWAT, HYDSTRA, WMS, NCIMS, ECMS, IRIS)
- Data analysis
- Team Work
- Technical report writing and professional judgement
- Conflict resolution
- Collaboration
- Time Management
- Planning and Organizing
- Presentation
- Financial Management
- Effective People and Work Management
- Negotiating
Personal Particulars
- ID Number: 9308110641089
- Ethnicity: African
- Gender: Female
- Driver's License: Code C1 (Valid)
- Pr.Sci Nat : 116973
Advanced Career Development
- Blue, Green Drop Assessors Training, 27/06/2016 & 09/11/2022
- EMI Specialized Wetland Delineation Course, 09/04/2021
- Grade II Training Course and Designation, 10/04/201
- PALAMA Public Service Induction, 06/02/2014
- Speed Reading and Power Learning, 08/11/2014
- ArcGIS Basic, 11/03/2014
- Implementing Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001), 11/17/2014
- Environmental Law for Environmental Managers, 02/16/2015
- Environmental Impact Assessment: A Practical Approach, 06/01/2015
- Environmental Risk Assessment and Management based on ISO 31000, 08/03/2015
- Introduction to Integrated Waste Management, 07/25/2016
- Integrated Water Resource Management Training (internal), 05/22/2017
- Advanced HydroNet Weather Training Application, 11/11/2019
- Water Resources Planning Process (WRPP) Introductory Training Course, 11/02/2015
- Water Resources Yield Modelling Framework (WRYM-MF), 11/02/2015
- Water Resources Planning Modelling Framework (WRPM-MF), 11/02/2015
- The Rain Gauge Pre-processor Management System (RAIN-PMS) Introductory Training Course, 11/02/2015
- Water Resource Simulation Model (WRSM2000) Introductory Training Course, 11/02/2015
- Internal Training on Project Management, 02/18/2016
- Mini-SASS5 and IHI training, Department of Water and Sanitation (internal training), 06/09/2017
- Arc GIS Pro, 04/02/2018
- WMS data extraction and Graph creation, Department of Water and Sanitation (internal training), 09/19/2018
- Creating Maps and visualization with ArcGIS, 10/29/2918
- Internal Training on E-wulaas systems and WARMS, 11/07/2018
Publications
Too Hot to Sleep? Sleep Behaviour and Surface Body Temperature of Wahlberg’s Epauletted Fruit Bat, C.T. Downs, A. Awuah
Affiliations
SACNASP Pr.Sci.Nat 116973
MWISA
Additional Information
Name: Mr. Gawie van Dyk
Capacity: Supervisor and Director
Email: vandykg@dws.gov.za
Contact Numbers: Tel: 053 830 8802 | Cel: 063 407 4356
Name: Mr. Siyabonga Buthelezi (Pr.Sci.Nat): Scientific Manager
Capacity: Former Supervisor and Manager/Head of Section: WQM
Email: buthelezis2@dws.gov.za
Contact Numbers: Tel: 031 336 2781 | Cell: 081 036 8761
Name: Mr. Phillemon Shibambo
Capacity: Former Supervisor: Deputy Director
Email: shibambor@dws.gov.za
Contact Numbers: Tel: 012 336 6504 | Cel: 082 325 9733
Timeline
MSc - Environmental Science: Environmental Engineering
University of North West
01.2023 - 01.2024
Assistant Director/EMI Grade 2 (Dir: RCE)
Department of Water and Sanitation, Northern
01.2021 - Current
Regulatory Inspector (Dir: Enforcement)
Department of Water and Sanitation
01.2020 - 12.2020
Candidate Scientist (Sub Dir: Water Quality)
Department of Water & Sanitation
01.2018 - 12.2019
Candidate Scientist (Dir: Water Services Reg)
Department of Water and Sanitation
01.2015 - 12.2017
Graduate Trainee (Dir: Water Resource Planning)
Department of Water and Sanitation
01.2014 - 12.2014
Graduate Trainee (Dir: Environmental Engineering)
Department of Water and Sanitation
05.2013 - 12.2013
BSc Honors - Environmental Monitoring And Modelling
University of South Africa
04.2001 -
Bachelor of Science - Environmental Science
University of Kwa-Zulu Natal
04.2001 -
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