Apology:
Due to a new e-mail virus scanner installed last week, some of you may receive a duplicate copy of this newsletter. The problem will be rectified.

Architect of Telkom listing resigns from public sector
Johannesburg - Sivi Gounden, the director-general of public enterprises, had tendered his resignation from the department to pursue private business interests, he said yesterday.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Real bottleneck to skills development
FOR the past few months the media have been rich with concerns regarding the skills crisis facing our country. The movement of skilled and informed personnel is an important element in the development and transfer of technology. Remember when Marco Polo went east? The intellectual property that his expeditions pillaged required both the transfer of artefacts and the tacit skills required to use them.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Rand weakness squeezes out steel imports
SA's steel makers laughed all the way to the bank last year as a weak rand drove out imports and enabled local firms to corner the market.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Price of auto steel rises by 14,3% in 2003
Progress has been made in the long-running dispute between steel producer Iscor and the South African automotive industry over the issue of price increases for 2003. However, a model for future price adjustments has yet to be agreed. Iscor and the auto industry have confirmed a price adjustment for flat steel products of 14,3%, and that the new pricing arrangement was introduced as from the beginning of April.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

War, downturn hit SA steel
IN ONE of the most tangible signs of the effect of the Iraqi war and the global economic slowdown on SA to date, the SA Institute for Steel Construction has slashed its forecast for structural steel consumption this year by half.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Advance of private KZN power station study
A proposed new power station in Richards Bay, Kwazulu-Natal, could result in an improved and stabilised electricity supply to the city of uMhlathuze, putting an end to supply interruptions and unscheduled industrial start-ups, and reducing the amount of pollution pumped into the atmosphere when production restarts.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Astronomy is good business for SA
If a local bid to build a giant radio telescope is successful, $500m in foreign investment benefits could flow into SA.
(©www.bday.co.za)

US operation keeps Dorbyl at cutting edge
Engineering firm's Alpine roofing network aims to start a revolution using computer software IF you thought of Dorbyl as an ageing industrial dinosaur, you could not be further from the truth.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Will incentives save the cities?
FINANCE Minister Trevor Manuel's budget speech announcement that urban decay is a national priority was most welcome. Even more welcome was a proposed set of tax incentives aimed at enhancing the urban development imperative, and a complementary proposal extending tax advantages to public benefit organisations providing affordable housing to low-income households.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Mettle tables improved offer for iProp for costs
FINANCIAL services group Mettle on Friday tabled an improved offer to shareholders for the acquisition of land development group iProp's assets and liabilities. Sweeteners to the original R92,6m offer which could thwart a management buyout proposed in January were made despite discoveries that led Mettle to reduce the value it initially attached to iProp.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Private sector has pivotal role to play in restructuring
SA cannot afford to lose momentum on sales of state assets, whether in ports, rail, aviation or other sectors. The listing of phone monopoly Telkom has dramatically raised the profile of government's privatisation programme on the international stage.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Government targets access to basic sanitation for all by 2010
The government has stated its aim of ensuring that, by 2010, every South African will have access to basic sanitation, says a Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (Dwaf) spokesperson. Government has already spent R1,9-billion on basic sanitation projects from 1994 to 2002.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

R40m relief sewer soon to be constructed in Johannesburg
The utility Johannesburg Water is set to construct a R40-million relief sewer for the city. Investment delivery manager Riaan Taljaard and design manager Vince Barter tell Engineering News that the construction of the Leeuwkop relief sewer was necessary to take pressure off the strained Johannesburg sewer system.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Alternative to gravity sewage system suggested
A new sewage system developed by a German company may solve problems of water use and wastage in Africa. The system is set to replace the conventional gravity reticulation system with a vacuum sewage collection system.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Rubber-liner manufacturer to open two new plants
Specialist in the application of rubber to protect metal surfaces from corrosion in minerals beneficiation processes Industrial Rubber Services, of Brakpan, Gauteng, is planning to expand its business to include two new plants in the next three months.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

State launches Mpumalanga strawberry project
The national department of provincial and local government has launched the Silobela Strawberry farm project in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, which has created much-needed jobs for the local community.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Science council's bioprospecting programme is now paying off
A second drug to be developed by tapping into South African indigenous knowledge is set to follow in the footsteps of antiobesity drug P57.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Citrus waste-to-wealth project approved
South Africa's only national chemical technology incubator, Chemin, has completed a feasibility study for Kat River Citrus Co-op project in Fort Beaufort, a deep-rural area in the Eastern Cape, in which it gives the green light for the project to go ahead.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

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Retail sales in January up 3,6% from last year
Economics Correspondent RETAIL trade sales steadied in January, growing by 3,6% compared to the same month last year, according to latest figures from Statistics SA. The rise was more than double the previous month's year-on-year growth of 1,5%
(©www.bday.co.za)

Seven-Eleven under liquidation
The Seven-Eleven Corporation as well as Seven-Eleven Africa have been placed under provisional liquidation
(©www.bday.co.za)

3M plans to double SA turnover
US Multinational 3M, the company that supplies an array of products including Post-it message pads, washing-up scourers, stethoscopes and cables is planning a five-year investment to double its SA turnover.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Tiger, Enterprise get merger green light
The Competition Commission yesterday referred the merger between Tiger Brands and Enterprise Foods to the Competition Tribunal, but recommended that the two parties unconditionally be given the green light.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Car sales growing slower than rest of economy
Economist warns that sales figures should not be regarded as a barometer of SA's economic health. WE SHOULD be wary of reading too much into SA car sales figures, as this branch of the retailing sector is growing more slowly than the overall economy, Econometrix economist Tony Twine has warned.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Retailers get ready to comply with new legislation on plastic bags
Cape Town - The country's big retailers had no alternative but to comply with new legislation on plastic bags to be introduced early in May, they said yesterday, although Pick 'n Pay would introduce its own "green bag" as an alternative.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

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UNION DEMANDS
Attached to this Newsletter please find the trade union demands for the 2003 negotiations; BCAWU proposals (2 pages) and NUM proposals (1 page). Members are reminded of the mandating meetings to be held in the regions as follows: 7 April 2003 at 15h00, Durban; 8 April 2003 at 08h30, Port Elizabeth; 8 April 2003 at 15h00, Cape Town, and 10 April 2003 at 14h00, Johannesburg.
(©www.safcec.org.za)

SKILLS SURVEY
In terms of the Immigration Act 13 of 2003 the Department of Trade and Industry is partly responsible to determine the skills shortages in South Africa.
(©www.safcec.org.za)

DEMERIT SYSTEM:
A "Demerit" system for traffic infringements becomes active September 2003. It will be good to familiarise yourself with the system so it does not catch up with you when it becomes active. This system will be applied countrywide. Demerit points will be allocated for infringements/traffic offences. Penalty units will determine the amount of the fine.
(©www.safcec.org.za)

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Kenya expects more foreign investment
Kenya is expecting a substantial infusion of foreign investment in the coming months, Trade and Industry Minister Mukhisa Kituyi says.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Namibia prepares to move against defiant farmers
Government probes the transfer of commercial farms to close corporations. THE Namibian government says it may have to lock up about 4386 commercial farmers after they failed to complete forms regarded as crucial in the determination of commercial land holding in the country.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Zanu (PF) militants force workers from coffee farm
WORKERS on the Chimanimani coffee farm owned by Roy Bennett, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) MP in Zimbabwe's eastern highlands, were chased off the property by Zanu (PF) militants last week.
(©www.bday.co.za)

ChevronTexaco restarts Nigerian oil output
Oil major ChevronTexaco said today it had gradually restarted Nigerian production it was forced to shut down 12 days ago because of ethnic clashes. Royal Dutch Shell, which together with the US major were forced by the crisis to shut in more than 40% of Nigerian crude output, said it was not yet resuming the production.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

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'Enabling Empowerment in Mining'
South Africa's Black Business Council, with the endorsement of the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME), is to hold a one-day workshop with the theme of 'Enabling Empowerment in Mining'.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Merisol denies dumping
SA chemicals company Merisol, in which Sasol is a 50% shareholder, has been hit with antidumping action in one of its largest foreign markets for phenol.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Mining rush spark rubber industry growth
The plethora of new mining projects in sub-Saharan Africa, and South Africa in particular, is providing a springboard for expansion to companies in the rubber industry.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Gem giant’s third sight not affected by war
Continuing on last year’s trend of solid diamond sales, De Beers described its first three sights of 2003 as having gone “extremely well”, despite the current war in Iraq.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Anglo American hit by apartheid lawsuit
A US lawyer campaigning for compensation for victims of apartheid said today he was filing suit for damages of up to $6,1-billion against mining giant Anglo American and its diamond business De Beers.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Platinum to brighten Cluff outlook
CLUFF Mining, which has two SA platinum projects, may be producing platinum from its SA Blue Ridge project by the end of next year. Reporting a widening in its net loss of $9,6m for the year ended December 31 last year compared to 8,2m in the 12 months of 2001, chairman and CE Algy Cluff said a great deal of money had been invested in exploration.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Anglo rejects apartheid-reparations move in US
Resources group Anglo American has strongly rejected efforts made by US lawyers and others to use US courts to resolve important issues for South Africa's future.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Gold plumbs four-month low as noose tightens on Baghdad
Gold's Iraq premium continued to evaporate yesterday, as prices dropped to four-month lows after US armoured units drove almost unopposed to the edge of Baghdad and fought to seize the city's airport.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

US Senate panel approves conflict diamonds bill
The Senate Finance Committee unanimously approved a bill aimed at banning imports of diamonds used to fund bloody African civil wars.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

De Beers sets up BEE advice group
Diamond giant De Beers and its shareholders recognise and fully support the need for transformation and for the economic empowerment of historically disadvantaged persons in the South African mining industry, company said yesterday.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Cluff hopes to begin building new SA platinum-mine this year
British miner and explorer Cluff Mining says it has firm plans to complete the Blue Ridge feasibility study as well as source project finance for the construction of a new $60-million to $70-million South African platinum-mine during the course of this year.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Boart set to acquire drilling consumables group
Mining systems and services company Boart Longyear has entered into negotiations for the acquisition of Huddy Limited and Huddy Rock Tools Limited.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Target date of 2005 for new chrome mine
The development of the new chrome-mine on the farm Buffelsfontein, on the western limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex, is expected to get under way before the middle of this year, and be completed in early 2005, Transvaal Ferro-Chrome CEO Ian Watson tells Mining Weekly.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

AngloPlat is committed to a 30% BEE procurement target
The world’s largest platinum producer, Anglo Platinum, will have to increase its procurement from empowerment companies by an average of 50% a year if it wishes to achieve a target of 30% of its procurement from these companies by 2010. The 30% target had been suggested in draft legislation, but there is currently no legislated target for empowerment procurement.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

No reliable silicosis statistics states chief mine inspector
There are no reliable figures on the number of mine employees who are suffering from silicosis, reports chief inspector of mines May Hermanus.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

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All eyes on Immigration Act case
The real estate industry is waiting with baited breath to see whether the Cape High Court will rule that the Department of Home Affairs has any legitimate grounds to appeal the court's recent decision to set aside the regulations accompanying the new Immigration Act.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Property24 creates electronic link to Sunday Times Property
Estate agencies subscribing to Property24, South Africa's leading Internet property portal, can now place for-sale advertisements in Sunday Times Property as easily as they put new listings online.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Spotlight on: Richards Bay
While industrial expansion is surging ahead at Richards Bay, residential development is lagging so far behind that there is now a critical shortage of flats and houses for rent or sale.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Tax incentives not the whole answer
The urban regeneration tax incentives announced in this year's Budget are generous but will probably not result in large-scale refurbishment of old apartment blocks to create affordable rental accommodation in city centres unless the owners can count on legal protection against rent defaulters.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Interest rate hikes hit housing market
A ONE percentage point increase in interest rates leads to a decrease of R3,09bn in gross mortgage advances, says Housing Minister Brigitte Mabandla.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Tip of the week
Conveyancer’s fees may be debited to the home loan account, provided that this will not cause the loan amount to exceed 100% of the property’s assessed value.
(©www.property24.co.za)

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How to Photograph Interiors
The skill of photographing a room, whether it's in a house or a commercial environment, is one that is practiced principally by professionals who specialize in architectural photography or interior design work. Most people never give much thought to making a room the subject of a photograph. That's a mistake.
(©www.doityourself.com)

Monte Carlo Simulation in MS Excel
The Monte Carlo method of estimating project cost is based on the generation of multiple trials to determine the expected value of a random variable. Please note: This report is in PDF format.
(©www.projectsmart.co.uk)

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Anglo rejects reparation claims
Commodity giant Anglo American has rejected efforts made by US lawyers and others to use US courts to resolve important issues regarding South Africa's future.
(©www.news24.com)

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Oil prices slide on war news
World oil prices fell back on Friday, shedding gains of the previous day as traders took heart from the rapid US-led advance towards Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's seat of power.
(©www.news24.com)

Sars low impact on Sun Int
The impact of the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome on hotel and leisure group Sun International has so far been minimal.
(©www.news24.com)

Rand loses some ground
The rand was back in the mid 7.90s to the dollar in late afternoon trade on Friday after importer demand for dollars saw it surrender gains made in early trade and on Thursday.
(©www.news24.com)

Anglo shares under pressure
Johannesburg - Shares in diversified resources group Anglo American came under pressure.
(©www.news24.com)

Managing Project Costs and Duration (especially on fixed-price contracts)
Have you ever had a claim on a fixed-price contract resulting from extension of time or variation orders? How does one adjust for increased costs on a fixed-price contract?

The Vaal Colloquium has published three clauses in the CUG they suggest could assist the quantity surveyor to effectively manage project cost and duration. Please take some time to think about their suggestions and use the reply form to let them have your input.

Did you know that you can find out more about critical path programming on the ASAQS website? Click here to find out where.

Sloof Lirpa took his toll on April 1
"All CUG members have to update their passwords on Tuesday during normal office hours - failing to do so may result in them losing their access to the Closed User Group after midnight on that day," was the message in this newsletter and on the website.

It resulted in E-mails being sent from early on Tuesday complaining that the password-program was not behaving properly. Some members even phoned Midrand to find out what was going on and soon worried staff at the ASAQS offices phoned the Webmaster to find out who the new IT-director, Mr Sloof Lirpa was? "Spell it backwards!", was my reply.

April fools!

Judging from the e-mails received from members, who had a good chuckle at themselves, the exercise conclusively proved that quantity surveyors do have a sense of humor!

Thanks to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to drop us an e-mail on how they got caught. Maybe it will inspire me to dream up something new next year!

Webmaster

Seminars, etc.
Just one month to book for ProjectPro’s introduction to project management course at the Lifestyle Studios on Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront.

Project Management Demystified (Introductory NQF 4 Level) takes place from 5-6 May 2003 and costs just R2 364 excl VAT. Price includes course manual, PM methodology, lunches and refreshments.

Seen on Classifieds:

QS Position
Davis Langdon Farrow Laing are look for a qualified QS for their Cape Town Branch. Minimum 2 years experience required.

QS Position
Davis Langdon Farrow Laing is looking for a qualified QS for its Pretoria office. Experience from one year to eight years required (4 positions available)
T el:012 - 342 2733

Project Manager - Building Construction (AA)
The Management of development projects from feasibility through to final completion including all administration, management of consultants and contractors. Need to have a B Sc. (Building Science) or equivalent property degree/diploma e.g. Structural Engineering, Quantity Surveying to understand building construction technicalities, as well as to understand business economic principles and practices as they pertain to the property market.

Browse to Classifieds for full details

Remember: Visit the ASAQS website for new updates!

We currently have more than 900 access accounts to the CUG!
New members to the CUG

Werner Uys
Paul le Roux
William Bussell

Please note : Only paid-up members of the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors are allowed entrance to the CUG. We still receive a number of applications every month from non-members. If you have any questions regarding membership contact Mrs Barbara Morgan on 011-3154140

Also 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.

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