PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

State grants funds for construction of Coega
Port Elizabeth Government confirmed an initial grant yesterday of R58,2m from the trade and industry department's critical infrastructure fund' towards the construction of the much talked about Coega project, which comprises an industrial development zone and a deep-water port.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Supporters feel that Coega is worth waiting for
It's happening," reads the imposing Coega Development Corporation (CDC) logo on a large billboard just outside the Port Elizabeth airport. Put up a year ago, its primary aim was to quell mounting suspicion over whether the government-initiated multibillion rand industrial development zone and deep-water port project would ever see the light of day.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Nine stations planned for Gauteng bullet
The Gauteng provincial government has announced the location of the nine stations for the proposed speed-train link between Johannesburg and Pretoria, and Sandton and the Johannesburg International Airport. The estimated R7-billion public-private partnership will see purpose-built trains speed at 160 km/h to 180 km/h between these major hubs by 2006.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Grinaker consortium gets pipeline deal
Aveng subsidiary Grinaker-LTA heads a consortium of SA, Australian and Greek construction companies which is to build Sasol's R1,7bn gas pipeline from Mozambique to Secunda. The 865km pipeline will link the Temane gas field in Mozambique to Sasol's petrochemical plant at Secunda in Mpumalanga.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Name change pays off for Blue Valley Estate
Developers of the former Samrand Golf and Country Estate in Midrand appear to be fending off bad karma left by former co-shareholders, Samrand Holdings, in the project north of Johannesburg. Malaysian developer Mitrajaya renamed the project Blue Valley Estate as the first step in its image cleansing after it bought out Samrand, owned by another Malaysian investor, Samsudin abu Hassan.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Cape Town CBD looking good'
CAPE Town's central business district (CBD) is showing signs of rejuvenation, says Cape Town Partnership CEO Michael Farr. His comments follow Pick 'n Pay's decision to open its first store in the CBD, a move seen as a vote of confidence in the city. The area has seen little decline in economic activity compared with other CBDs around the country, some of which have come close to collapse.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Ithala plans two more one-stop centres
Provincial development finance agency Ithala will expand its R231m portfolio of 15 one-stop shopping centres this year with two new multimillion-rand developments coming on stream in the heart of KwaZulu-Natal. Property executive Jan van Niekerk says the organisation will inject R22,2m into building the two new centres in Howick and Nkandla, inland of Eshowe.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Provincial capex is low, but better
PROVINCES spent less than half their capital budgets in the first nine months of this fiscal year, but they also improved their ability to spend, which bodes well for next year.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Consumers may lose in holiday feud
A row between the former chief executive of Holland Moorehouse and the current chairman over the timeshare group's financial status has gone to court.
(©www.persfin.co.za)

Construction accidents damage SA's reputation
South African engineers are at risk of damaging their world renowned reputation as highly-skilled professionals after a number of construction accidents in the last few years. The most recent incident occurred in Pretoria on December 20 , 2001, when the roof of the ice rink at the Kolonnade shopping centre collapsed, taking adjacent shops with it.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Steel support structure for Africa's new 'eye to the sky'
Constructing the structure and not exceeding a maximum deviation of ten millimetres from the design is near-impossible say those in the know. However, local company BKS Advantech has achieved just this, enthuse MD Dr Izak Potgieter and director Johann Wannenburg. The steel support structure will house an 11-m-diameter mirror in the South African Large Telescope (Salt) project, which is scheduled for completion in 2004.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

R2,3-bn airports expansion still on track
While the events of September 11 may have caused a global slump in the airline industry, local airport companies continue to plan expansions based on long-term traffic forecasts. This is according to Airports Company of South Africa airport planning assistant group executive Goran Vracar, who confirms that the company's planned expenditure of R2,3-billion over a five-year period is still on track.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

R300m investment drive for Sekhukhune
More than R300-million will be spent before March to develop one of South Africa’s most poverty-stricken rural areas – Sekhukhune. The area includes four cross-border municipalities between Mpumalanga and Northern Province where electricity, water, roads and an information and technology centre will be developed. The Philadelphia hospital sewage plant will also be upgraded.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Inspired leadership key to SA's success
SA IS on the road to becoming one of the world's leading nations, but Citadel investment managers believe massive private initiative and inspirational leadership are needed to spur the country on to success.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Maputo port to gain from Spoornet deal
The long-awaited $60m rehabilitation of Mozambique's Maputo port has been boosted by this month's rail concession deal, which paves the way for a Spoornet-led consortium to operate the rail link between SA and Mozambique. Upgrading the rail line into the Maputo port is critical to its proper functioning. The Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC), an international consortium of companies that won the port concession in September 2000, only expects to begin work once the rail deal is finalised.
(©www.bday.co.za)

SA railway utility now in 18 African countries
Following its latest concession to operate the Ressano Garcia–Machava railway line in Mozambique, South African railway utility Spoornet is now active in railway-related projects in 18 African countries.
The Mozambique deal follows close on a 20-year concession contract in the Ivory Coast and a 25-year concession in Cameroon. Spoornet, together with its partner, Comazar, have also been announced as the preferred operators for the development of a large inland port at Namanve in Uganda.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Probe into Russia, India dumping nears end
The Board on Tariffs and Trade (BTT) says the investigations launched last year against Indian and Russian steel suppliers accused of dumping have reached "an advanced stage". The investigation against the Indians started in March last year, after East Rand company Robor Tube had lodged a petition, complaining that steel tube and pipe imports from the Asian country were causing "material injury" to local producers.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT PROFESSIONS CONVENTION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 1-3 May 2002 Sandton, South Africa Click here to register

HOUSING NEWS AND LAND ISSUES

'Gautrain is great, but not in my backyard'
The first of the public participation meetings for residents living along the Gautrain rapid rail link started this week, with about 200 people making inquiries in central Johannesburg on Monday, and about 600 more in Sandton on Wednesday.
(©www.iol.co.za)

Related stories from IOL
700 houses to go under Shilowa Express plan
Bullet train takes aim at Gauteng homes
Shilowa unveils plans for his Express
Wheels turn to get super-train on track

Gautrain worries residents
Residents are becoming increasingly concerned about the effect the new high-speed rail link between Johannesburg and Pretoria will have on their properties after the release yesterday of station locations. Gauteng province is moving ahead with plans to build 80km of new railway line, at a cost of about R7bn, for the high-speed Gautrain project. Provincial government has set aside about R700m for an expropriation exercise, the extent of which was partially revealed yesterday when the location of nine stations was released.
(©www.bday.co.za)

NEWS FROM AFRICA

Oil firm hopeful of peace in Sudan
A ceasefire covering all of Sudan, Africa’s largest country, ravaged by civil war for two decades, could be in place soon, oil company Lundin Petroleum, which has drilling operations there, said. “We are cautiously optimistic about a comprehensive ceasefire in the whole country in the near future,” Swedish Lundin Petroleum’s President and CEO Ian Lundin said.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Angry reaction to Anglo's Zambian withdrawal
Mining giant Anglo American’s decision to strangulate the country by pulling out from Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) makes it easy to sympathise with Robert Mugabe’s style of governance in Zimbabwe, Zambia Alliance for Progress (ZAP) leader Dean Mung’omba has said.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Africa hungers for airport infrastructure
Consulting engineering firm Stewart Scott is preparing itself to take advantage of an increase in demand for airport infrastructure in Africa. It is tendering for several airport contracts in sub-Saharan Africa, and anticipates that an even greater number of airports in Africa will need either master-planning, design and construction, maintenance and rehabilitation or management services. Transport director Gerrit Venter explains that, with attention shifting away from political affairs, there is a growing awareness that economy-boosting infrastructure is vital.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Death toll in Lagos munitions blast tops 1000
The death toll from a stampede following the explosion of a munitions store in Lagos last week has risen to more than a thousand people, mostly children, Lagos officials have said. Most of those who died were trampled to death or drowned in a canal complex in the Isolo area of Lagos as a panicked crowd fled the explosion.
(©www.iol.co.za)

Zambia rules out mine closures despite Anglo pullout
Zambia had ruled out closing mines owned by Anglo American if the firm pulled out this year, Enock Kavindele, the vice-president, said yesterday. Zambia took the decision after consulting World Bank experts. Anglo America's Nchanga and Konkola mines and Nampundwe pyrite mine make it the largest miner in the Copper Belt. It said last month it was considering selling or closing its Zambian copper operations because of low metal prices.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

MINING NEWS

Anglo's message
Anglo American CE Tony Trahar's speech in London this week had a dispassionate tone. On reading the elegantly crafted address to the Chatham House globalisation conference, he emerges as a foreign businessman who is somewhat fondly disposed towards SA and the rest of Africa, but who, as we noted here a few days ago, does not allow emotion or patriotism to intrude on rational business decisions.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Technical troubles hit Avmin in Zambia
AngloVaal Mining has been forced to take a R1,5bn writedown of its Zambian assets after a slide in cobalt prices was compounded by a 12-month delay in the start-up of its Chambishi cobalt plant. Avmin's announcement yesterday comes hard on the heels of Anglo American's decision last week to pull out of its Zambian operations as costs spiralled higher.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Mining industry carefully monitoring bill's progress
The second draft of the Minerals Development Bill, renamed the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Bill, is waiting for certification by the state law adviser and will probably be tabled in Parliament in the next two months. Drawn up by the minerals and energy department, which is headed by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the bill's first draft set off alarm bells when it appeared at the end of 2000.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Godsell spurns value-diluting deals
The last quarter of the 2001 financial year for South Africa’s largest gold producer was dominated by the unsuccessful bid for Australian miner Normandy, as well as the sudden and significant depreciation of the rand.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Assmang's R750m project boosts ferro-chrome production
Ferro-alloy producer Assmang spent R750m to raise the production of ferrochrome alloy to more than 300000 tons a year, from about 100000 tons despite weak metal prices, the company said yesterday. "We are not even thinking about cutting back on output because we have a large capital outlay to finance," said Rick Menell, CE of Anglovaal Mining, a partner with metals and minerals mining firm Assore. Assore sales manager Alistair McAdam said that he did not envisage output at the Machadodorp plant rising above 200000 tons before the end of this year.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Angloplat to beat expectations
Anglo Platinum, the mining group, said yesterday it expected full-year earnings for the past financial year to exceed market expectations. The world's largest platinum producer, which is 53% held by Anglo American, moved to alert markets to the effect that it believed the slump in the rand would have on its earnings before dollar sales were converted to rands.
(©www.bday.co.za)

AngloGold cost-cutting pays off
AngloGold's move to cut costs across its SA operations has evidently paid off, with production costs at its Great Noligwa operation among the world's lowest. SA's biggest mining group is refocusing after it lost the takeover battle for Australia's Normandy. The group said yesterday that earnings for the December quarter were more than 100% higher.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Listing to result in a new name for Mvela
Mvelaphanda Holdings will be renamed Mvelaphanda Resources after the completion of its reverse listing into JSE Securities Exchange listed East Daggafontein on Tuesday. The newly created company will be SA's largest listed black empowerment mining company. East Daggafontein and Mvelaphanda Holdings said yesterday they had fulfilled the conditions first presented in September
(©www.bday.co.za)

Chamber approves of Randera's move to industry
Cape Town The appointment of former intelligence inspector-general Faizel Randera as the new SA Chamber of Mines health adviser was a "big catch" and would ensure that mining houses complied with safety laws, the chamber said yesterday.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Copper mining firm profit takes a dip
Palabora Mining, which operates SA's only copper mine, saw its profit slide 7% in the year to December with strike action, tax issues and the lowest copper price seen in about 30 years blamed for the fall. The results came just a day after Anglo American, which holds a 27% stake in Palabora, said low copper price as well as increasing development costs had led to its decision to pull out of its Zambian copper mines.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Northam's earnings plunge 44%
Northam Platinum's headline earnings in the six months to December plunged 44% after a strike led to a drop in production. A five-week strike, which ran into August last year at the company's Bushveld mine, led to production of gold and platinum group metals falling from 136613/oz to 124330/oz in the six months to December 31 when compared with the same period in 2000.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Harmony to see Freegold gains by June
Harmony Gold will start to reap the benefits of its Freegold joint venture in the June quarter, with the new mines expected to add R100m to operating profit. SA's fourth-largest gold producer and its fifty-fifty joint venture partner, African Rainbow Minerals, secured the four mines which make up Freegold from AngloGold for R2,2bn in November.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Platinum No 4 hopeful of operational turnaround
Although Northam’s results for the six months ended December 31, 2001, had been disappointing due largely to substantially lower dollar metal prices and the effects of the unfortunate strike action in the first quarter, there were encouraging signs of an operational rebound, said MD Ian Watson.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Africa gets first rare-earth mine
The African continent will get its first rare-earth mine this year, which will provide 3% to 4% of the world's consumption of rare-earth metals. The project is being developed in South Africa by the Rare Earth Extraction Company (Rareco), which is listed on the Venture Capital Board on the JSE Securities Exchange.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Platinum tops mining company's project list
Specialist underground hard-rock mining and drilling company Cementation Mining Skanska recorded a turnover of R700-million in its 2000 financial year and, although the latest results have not officially been announced, a good performance is expected for 2001. MD Alastair Douglas tells Mining Weekly that, as a result of the recent platinum boom, close to 65% of the company's revenue is platinum-derived.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Spotlight on: Port Shepstone
There is a growing demand for permanent homes in and around Port Shepstone, as increasing numbers of professionals and entrepreneurs “discover” KwaZulu-Natal’s lower south coast.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Think of children, sell to parents
Though parents still have the final word when it comes to buying a family home, home sellers should be aware that children are increasingly influencing purchasing decisions.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Banks have the right to insure their own bonds
The conditional selling of short-term insurance by banks is outlawed in all instances – unless you owe the bank money for a home loan.
(©www.persfin.co.za)

How to quiz your contractor
Transfer costs being what they are, many home owners choose to invest in their existing homes rather than move. Many others remodel and renovate in order to get their homes into top shape before putting them on the market.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Record year for Re/Max
The Re/Max group has confirmed its heavyweight status in the South African property market with impressive growth in both sales and agent numbers.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Eskel Jawitz, Wakefields bale out Durr Estates
GAUTENG residential property group Eskel Jawitz and Durbanbased Wakefields have come to the rescue of Cape Town's Durr Estates by buying a majority stake in the insolvent company.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Back to basics
Despite the constant advance in technology, there are still some situations where simplicity is key. Kate Price reports on one such instance — formwork.
(©www.industryclick.com)

Africa's largest terminal
Development of the new $47mil. domestic terminal at Johannesburg International Airport is rapidly taking shape. In his last report as Africa correspondent before retiring, Errol Symons visits the site.
(©www.industryclick.com)

The money or the wheels - a tricky choice
Employees are often given a choice between being paid a travel allowance as part of their salaries or being given the use of a company car for work purposes
(©www.mywealth.co.za)

Project termination
Just as defining the project is considered a project management function, so to is terminating a project. Of course, there are some big differences in focus and importance. A project that is not defined appropriately will not have a good chance to be successful. On the other hand, a successful project that does not conclude gracefully will probably still be seen as successful.
(©www.tenstep.com)

CPD Seminar
CPD seminar No. 1 of 2002 on the topic of Facilities Management is scheduled for 19 February at Wits. The presenter will be Mr Arthur Coy and it will start 14:00 in Room A2, John Moffat Building, Wits University. The registration fee will be R150.00 per delegate. Click here to download full details.

Facilities manager
Maja Macdougall is a facilities manager, keeping premises running for clients in different cities and countries. In this interview in Wednesday's Cape Times she speaks about her job and what it involves.
(©www.iol.co.za)

SUBMISSION OF CPD RETURNS
The first 30 month period for CPD returns ended 30 June 2001 and members are requested to submit their returns as soon as possible

JOHANNESBURG 2002 GOLF DAY
The annual Johannesburg golf day is taking place on 26 February 2002 at the WANDERERS COUNTRY CLUB. Early entries are recommended as we had a full house with our last golf day in Pretoria. Click here to download full details.

COST ENGINEERING ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN AFRICA
NOTICE OF MEMBERS MEETING TO BE HELD AT THE SAB PARK LANE, SANDTON IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM ON THURSDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2002 AT 17:30
Presentation by Ms Inarié de Vaal, Director, The Document Warehouse (Pty) Ltd -"Information as a Resource"
After the meeting the brewhouse will be open to provide refreshments and a forum for informal discussion.
ENQUIRIES:
Peter Cooke (011) 881-8254
Marié Voogt (011) 766 2805

Pay UP!
A main contractor has a contract with building owners — but do subcontractors or sub-subcontractors? And what about building tenants? iC’s Roger Knowles gets to grips with collateral warrantees.
(©www.industryclick.com)

NQF finally gets off the ground
THE promise of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), which has been under development for the past seven years, is that it will revolutionise tertiary and adult education in SA.
(©www.bday.co.za)

New members to the CUG
A warm word of welcome to the following member who has joined us in the CUG during the past week:

No new members this week

Please note that your registration to the CUG will remain in force as long as you remain a member of ASAQS and there is no need to register every year. If you have not received an e-mail confirming your registration contact ASAQS.