Marshalls upbeat on demand for property
South Africans were "crying out" for strong and firm action from the country's leaders, particularly given the unresolved issues of unemployment, crime and corruption, poor investments and the crisis in Zimbabwe, Marshalls' chairman, David Marshall, said in the company's annual report, which was released last week.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Inflation contributes to 14% rise in costs of building a house
Pretoria - The building costs of a new house have increased by an average of 13.8 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with a year ago. This is one of the biggest year-on-year quarterly increases since 1993.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Joburg to demolish four derelict buildings
As part of the Johannesburg Inner City Regeneration and Rejuvenation Project, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Council is targeting all old, potentially dangerous buildings in the city for demolition.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Newtown to become a cultural Mecca
Newton is set to reclaim its status as the creative heart of Johannesburg with a series of permanent cultural attractions and tourism drawcards. Newtown Precinct has been around since 1985 as a project, attracting goodwill, but limited private-sector participation. As part of the provincial finance and economic affairs department's 1999 report, the project was reevaluated in terms of operational and financial viability.
(©www.bday.co.za)

City Deep port in line for a facelift
Johannesburg International Airport is clearly a port, but less well known is the fact that the City Deep container depot is a bonded warehouse licensed by the SA Ports Authority which falls into the category of an inland port. It too has plans for an IDZ.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Capstone 252 wins Chapman's Peak contract
A Concor consortium special purpose company, Capstone 252, has been chosen as the preferred bidder for an R128m contract to build, operate and maintain Chapman's Peak Drive as a toll road for 30 years. The unsuccessful bidder for the concession was Basil Read Bouyges.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Cement producer reports 33% earnings rise
South African cement producer, Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC), reported a 33% rise in operating profit to R247,5-million in the six months to March, despite stagnant domestic demand for cement and upheaval in Zimbabwe.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Strong local market lifts revenues at Iscor
Johannesburg - A stronger domestic market, reflecting the improved outlook for the construction and packaging industries, helped steelmaker Iscor lift revenues to R3.8 billion in the first three months of this year.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Basil Read's boss bets on recovery by buying stock
Durban - Confident that the worst was over for Basil Read, Albert Bernardo, the new chief executive, has put R1.8 million of his own funds into buying shares in the building and civil engineering company in the past six weeks.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

BJM upgrades SA Retail on unit dip
Durban - Barnard Jacobs Mellet (BJM) has upgraded SA Retail Properties because of the decline in its unit price. James Templeton, an analyst with the securities firm, said yesterday that the decline in the unit price to R4.55 from its listing price of R5 a unit in November had made the fund more attractive to investors.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

BHP Billiton posts 33% profit drop
Melbourne - BHP Billiton's third-quarter profit fell 33 percent and demand showed few signs of recovering, the world's biggest mining company said yesterday, indicating that prices for metals might languish.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Secret interest 'stuns' LeisureNet chairman
Cape Town - Peter Gardener and Rod Mitchell, the former joint chief executives of LeisureNet, should have disclosed their secret interest in German firm Healthland Germany, Joe Pamensky, the former LeisureNet chairman, told a commission of inquiry into the company's collapse on Friday.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Acsa denies reports that it is opposed to relocation of Durban International
Airports Company SA (Acsa) has denied as "unfounded" persistent rumours that it is opposed to the relocation of Durban International Airport to the proposed new site at La Mercy.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

SA-France create new aerospace company
South Africa’s defence parastatal Denel and Turbomeca, part of the Snecma group of France, created a new company, Turbomeca Africa, for the manufacture of engine components and maintenance of helicopter engines and industrial turbines for trains and cogeneration.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Peru postpones $61,4m highway
Peru postponed for the second time the bidding for a highway project that will require an estimated investment of $61,4-million until May 24, the country’s privatisation board COPRI said.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Swedish Engineering group positive before listing
Bookbuilding for engineering group Alfa Laval’s roughly $741- million initial public offering has got off to a good start, investment bankers close to the deal said.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

W Coast gas prospecting results by June
South African-based Sasol Petroleum International (SPI) reports that the results of a three-dimensional seismic survey conducted at its gas prospect off South Africa's western coast are expected by June.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Gautrain in the news:

Two consortia named for Gautrain
The government has short-listed two consortia, led by Canada's Bombardier and French group Alstom, for a R7 billion high-speed train project.
(©www.news24.com)

Gauteng's rail link attracts global interest
Two consortiums qualify to tender. A number of large international companies will participate in the tender process to build and operate the Gautrain rapid rail link
(©www.bday.co.za)

All systems go for Gauteng's speed train
Project will create 43000 jobs during building and more after completion
A rapid rail link between Johannesburg and Pretoria and between Johannesburg International Airport and Sandton respectively is by far the most ambitious and costly project within Blue IQ's portfolio of 11 projects.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Rail project remains controversial
Shilowa says study is not about the link's existence, but its impact BIG international players have thrown their weight behind Gauteng's rapid rail link, but objections from home owners remains an issue that needs to be resolved.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Gautrain needs better gatekeepers
In terms of technical and other expertise, foreign participation in local infrastructure development is less of a requirement than a necessity. It came as no surprise this week, therefore, when Gauteng Premier Mbazima Shilowa announced that two consortiums, packed with foreigners, had prequalified for the Gauteng Rapid Rail project.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

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Threats of farm takeovers
A group of youths have demonstrated outside the Pretoria High Court in protest against the sentences imposed on two Pietersburg rugby players in connection with the murder of Tshepo Matloha. Judge Bernard Ngoepe sentenced Riaan Botha and Ben Korff to 18 years in jail for the "vicious" and "cowardly" murder of Matloha.
(©www.news24.com)

Farming organisations give backing to Nepad
Organised agriculture would actively assist government in promoting the New Partnership for African Development (Nepad) locally and internationally.
(©www.bday.co.za)

President to discuss farming plan with stakeholder group
President Thabo Mbeki will meet the agricultural working group in Pretoria today to discuss progress made in the past four months in implementing the farming sector's strategic plan.
(©www.bday.co.za)

'Umhlaba wami, the land is mine'
Muden - "Umhlaba wami, umhlaba wami" (The land is mine), sang about 400 people last weekend at a ceremony to mark the handover of ownership and title deed to the former labour tenants and their descendants of Scheepersdal, a 242ha farm along the banks of the Mooi River in KwaZulu-Natal.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

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$450m for DRC reconstruction
The World Bank has approved a $450-million credit line for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) aimed at rebuilding the central African country’s war-ravaged economy, AFP reports official sources said in Kinshasa.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Algeria builds $80m helium plant
Algerian State-owned oil and gas company Sonatrach selected German firm Linde to build and operate a $80-million helium plant that would double the country’s output.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Nigerian oil sector faces funding crisis
Nigerian oil output could fall further if a funding crisis resulting from a recent Supreme Court ruling persists, oil industry sources said. “Cash call payments fell due today but oil companies had no account to debit because of the court ruling,” said one oil industry official who asked not to be named.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Malawi says third mobile licence wil be issued in May
Malawi’s telecoms regulator said it would licence by the end of May a third mobile phone firm to operate in the impoverished southern African country.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

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Sparkling R1bn, 1m oz quarter from gold leader
Despite sparkling financial results from the world’s second largest gold producer GoldFields, much attention will be focused on turning around the poor performance of the producers Kloof mine in Westonaria, in the next quarter.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

North American gold major sells more on spot market
North American gold producer, Barrick Gold, has reported earnings of $46-million and free cash flow of $73-million for the first quarter of 2002, as the company benefited from solid contributions from the Pierina and Eskay Creek mines, lower capital spending and rising gold prices.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Platinum prices fall as Russia resumes exports
Platinum prices fell to three-week lows and palladium to its lowest this year earlier this week on signs that key supplier Russia had resumed exports of the precious metals.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Spanish industrial minerals deal
Mining firm Anglo American has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Tarmac, part of the Anglo Industrial Minerals division, has reached an agreement to acquire the aggregates and ready-mixed concrete (ready-mix) assets of the Mavike Group in Spain for a total cash consideration of 59-million euro.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

New coal shaft for Secunda
The new coal-mine shaft officially opened at Sasol Mining’s Middelbult operations in Secunda last week, will enable miners to reach the face four times faster than what they previously could.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

India hopes to replicate SA's coal-to-oil success
In what could be a precursor to the importation of synthetic fuels giant Sasol’s coal-to-oil technology by India, the governments of India and South Africa have agreed to examine the possibility of setting up a joint working committee on coal which, among other things, will look into how the world-beating technology can be transferred to the Asian country.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Junior has industrial-minerals growth plan
SMALL diversified mining group New Kleinfontein is to expand its production of industrial minerals and increase its market share.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

State won't intervene in iron-ore fight
Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin says that government would only intervene in the dispute between the State-owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and mining company Stimela if it felt that the fight could jeopardise the country’s iron-ore and steel ambitions.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

SA eyes 82-million tons of coal exports by 2004
A memorandum of understanding between the National Ports Authority (NPA) and the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT), that allows the terminal’s phase-five expansion to go ahead despite a lack of concensus on the lease agreement for the portion of NPA-owned land on which the expansion is due to take place, is due to be signed in April.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

The benefit of hindsight
AngloGold needs to address a pressing issue. In December, when it sold its four Free State mines for R2,2bn to Free Gold, the company and many analysts said AngloGold had received a decent price for a mature asset carrying significant overheads.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Anglo buys Chilean mine for $1,3bn
Move emphasises the resources giant's intention to grow its base metals division Resources Correspondent ANGLO American has bought a Chilean copper mine for $1,3bn in a move that emphasises its intention to grow its base metals division.
(©www.bday.co.za)

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News homes at: Makhato Bush Lodge
This weekend sees the launch of Makhato Bush Lodge – a sectional title development within the 5000ha Sondéla nature reserve near Warmbaths
(©www.property24.co.za)

Origination on a roll
The gathering market swing away from traditional home loan application channels and towards mortgage originators is amply illustrated in figures just released by PA Homeloans, arguably the country’s fastest growing originator.
(©www.property24.co.za)

In defence of golf estates
Golf estates will continue to grow in popularity as SA homebuyers continue to seek security in a tranquil, green environment.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Pearl scoops eighth regional trophy
Pearl Sparks, who in 45 years in the real estate business has sold almost every house in Rondebosch at least once, has won the Pam Golding Properties Western Province agent of the year award for an eighth time.
(©www.property24.co.za)

PGP East London named top regional office
Pam Golding Properties' East London residential franchise office increased its volume of sales transactions by almost 85 percent to 257 in the financial year ended February 2002, and increased turnover by 97 percent.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Re/Max begins African expansion
Re/Max Southern Africa is to open an office in Windhoek, Namibia as the first step in its planned expansion into sub-Saharan Africa.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Tough times in the luxury home market
Although home prices generally are expected to hold their own against inflation this year, indications are that those in the luxury category (above R1-million) will not.
(©www.property24.co.za)

US housing market on a roll
Rising employment and consumer confidence as the US shakes off a recession are expected to push sales of existing homes there to a record 5,31-million units this year.
(©www.property24.co.za)

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Earned Value Management
Earned Value Management is a methodology used to measure and communicate the real physical progress of a project taking into account the work complete, the time taken and the costs incurred to complete that work.
Earned Value helps evaluate and control project risk by measuring project progress in monetary terms.
Part One Introduction to EVM
Part Two Setting up an EVM system
Part Three A "made up" working example of progress assessment using Earned Value

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Closing prices:
BUILDING, CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING

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Absa to charge for web banking
Johannesburg - Absa's free internet banking service will end on June 1, 2002, when it will start charging R65 a month for internet access by non-Absa clients.
(©www.news24.co.za)

Saambou: Good news
Banking group FirstRand says the government has agreed in principle to a deal that would result in all depositors at troubled Saambou gaining full access to their deposits.
(©www.news24.co.za)

Gold storms to new high
COMEX gold rallied to a new 17-month high Friday afternoon, as a tumbling dollar and worries about the US economic recovery fanned the flames under the 2002 bull market.
(©www.news24.co.za)

Value Management : The Optimum Solution in Property Development
Following on our special report this week we thought we'd get a South African perspective on the use of Value Management. Dr. C.P. de Leeuw writes:
“Value Management” may be equated to the North American term “Value Engineering”. I prefer the term “Value Management” as it has to do with “value” and “management” and has very little to do with “engineering”
“Value Engineering” was first introduced into the United States Department of Defense, Navy Facilities Engineering Command in 1963 and has been used to fine tune mainly government and semi-government developments in that country ever since.
The private sector in North America has not embraced “Value Engineering” to the same extent as the public sector. One reason probably being that “Value Engineering” has tended in that country to concentrate on functionality and cost only rather than on functionality, cost and return on investment, the latter being vital to any commercial developer.
Other countries, notably Australia and Japan and to a lesser extent the United Kingdom, have also embraced VM. We are using much of the Australian model as it tends to be more flexible in use. Click here to read on...
(©www.delqs.co.za)

A false dawn?
Design & Construct contracts are being lauded as providing the construction industry with ‘best value’. Really? iC’s contracts expert Roger Knowles examines the facts…
(©www.industryclick.com)

Download a free Excel spreadsheet Cashflow program
Ever needed to know what your cashflow was likely to be for each month for a 12 month period? Cashflow can project this for you . All you need to do is supply the financial data and cashflow will give you a monthly balance for 12 months .It will also project a profit and loss account and balance sheet .Great for anybody who has to deal with bank managers to get those elusive overdraft facilities. Click here to download.

Remember: Visit the ASAQS website for new updates!

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