Hi-Tech Security Solutions spoke to the chairperson of Electric Fencing and Components Manufacturers Association (EFCMA), Cliff Cawood and an Approved Inspection Authority under the Department of Labour (DoL), Dricon Electrical’s Nico van den Berg. They share the industry’s challenges and the recently published allegation by the Energy and Water Sector and Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) on Dricon’s line of business.
Cawood says that for any entity that is to be registered and recognised as a training provider within the electric fence industry, they need to follow the correct registration procedure. “The company first needs to apply to the correct SETA and complete various courses successfully as an assessor. The company has to have an area of expertise and competency in a certain area, such as electric fence installation. Following this process, that company will be approved.”
Van den Berg says he was once approached by the Electric Contractors Association of South Africa (ECASA) to provide training for its members on the installation of gate motors, electric fencing and alarm systems, however, he received a document from the DoL stating that only members of the South African Electric Fence Installers’ Association (SAEIFA) may become electric fence installers. This would mean that ECA(SA) members specialising in electric fencing would have to become members of an additional industry association. “In the end, only I and SAEIFA president Cliff Cawood were granted permission to provide training for electric fence installers,” said Van den Berg.
According to Van den Berg, many of their students were qualified single and three-phase master electricians who had focused purely on electric fence installations for periods of up to 10 years. Recognition of prior learning (RPL) was however, denied them.
But Cawood begs to differ. “There are only three registered and recognised training providers. Myself, Nemtek and Growth College,” he says. “I don’t know of Dricon or Mr Van den Berg as a registered electric fence training provider. There’s nothing that links me and Van den Berg except for his students who have been approaching me for help. His students say they have been waiting for their competency certificates from him, for which they paid.”
EWSETA released a statement last month: “It was reported that a Dricon Electrical has offered the abovementioned (on website) unit standards to the public without having the necessary EWSETA accreditation. The organisation is also guilty of posing as an accredited provider through misrepresentation to the public, this was done through misuse of the EWSETA logo in luring the public to use his services. The provider does not have permission to use the EWSETA logo nor is his institution accredited to use the EWSETA logo on any of his branding, letterhead and advertisements.
“NB: The provider has never achieved accreditation status previously with EWSETA nor is there any record of the provider on the EWSETA management information system (MIS),” according to quality assurance and compliance manager, Shannon Davids.
According to Van den Berg, Dricon’s line of business is that they started the Regional Electrical Safety Forum to help with the accidents relating to copper theft and illegal connections. ”I stand for the health and safety of people and the contractors that need to face dangerous work conditions on a daily basis.”
Asked if Dricon is registered and accredited as an electric fence training provider with EWSETA, about the issue of competency certificates and about the public notice published by EWSETA on their website, Van den Berg said: “Yes, we had accreditation then there were issues that I will leave for the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) to do their investigation on. I welcome the investigation from the relevant QCTO body, hopefully everything will come to light very soon.
Asked about the issue of competency certificates, Van den Berg said: “We trained and sent competency letters to students. I must be clear here I was given the go ahead from EWSETA. I am not some backyard trainer who is training to make a quick buck. I felt the need to train electrical registered electricians that are also installing electric fence as part of their business. I did not know that there was an only specific person that was allowed to do electric fences which in my view constitutes a monopoly. What I did realise was that electricians were not welcome in the electric fence industry. As much was said in an email to myself and ECASA.”
When asked about EWSETA’s public notice, he says he cannot say anything more as he is still discussing the issue with his advocate and it might end up in court.
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