Strength in SA economy gives PPC a boost
THE market for cement has been on an upward trend over the past year, signalling an underlying strength in the SA economy, PPC chief operating officer John Blackbeard said at the weekend. Blackbeard said that an upsurge in government spending in infrastructure had been much talked about in the past but the cement industry was seeing evidence that this is happening.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Vacancies fall fast in A grade Pretoria CBD offices
VACANCIES in A grade office buildings in Pretoria's central business district (CBD) have halved in the past nine months. According to the latest office vacancy figures from commercial property industry association Sapoa, the capital city's A grade vacancies came down to 8,7% in the quarter ended December last year from 16,9% nine months earlier.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Tax relief, cut in duty helps house prices
REDUCED transfer duty on residential property and tax relief for individuals helped house prices in SA continue their rally last year. The latest price survey by Absa Economic Research shows an average price of a house increased 14,2% to R358000 last year compared with the year before.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Government supports Cape Town film studio
CAPE TOWN The Western Cape government's plans to establish a dedicated film studio in Cape Town has gained further impetus by the receipt of expressions of interest in the project by 13 consortiums. The public/private partnership project is seen as vital to kickstart the growth of a local film industry which has been constrained by the lack of a film studio with the capacity to produce full length feature films.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Business opposes the placement of fibre plant in Helderberg
CAPE TOWN The Helderberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Somerset West has raised environmental concerns about the placement of a new 28m fibre optic plant in the area. In an unusual move the executive committee of the chamber expressed unanimous opposition to the erection of a FiberCore Africa plant on land belonging to AECI, which is zoned for industrial use and where explosives were once manufactured.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Supply contracts move Pechiney closer to building smelter at Coega
A DECISION to build the world's most advanced aluminium smelter at Coega came a lot closer yesterday with the news that Eskom and the SA Ports Authority have signed agreements with French firm Pechiney, which is leading the project. A decision to proceed with the 2bn smelter would provide a major boost to the Coega deepwater port and industrial development zone project, and would help draw in other businesses.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Pechiney looks for equity partners in €2bn smelter
Johannesburg and Paris - French aluminium maker Pechiney was looking for equity partners to fund 55 percent to 65 percent of its proposed new e2 billion (R18.2 billion) Eastern Cape smelter, the firm said yesterday.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Big construction firms deny exploiting blacks
MEMBERS of the established construction fraternity have downplayed allegations made by black building industry association, Nafbi, that large construction companies were exploiting small black contractors.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Gold zone expected to lure tourists and boost exports
SA GOLD industry players have taken the lead in a major initiative known as the gold zone to boost the beneficiation of gold jewellery products for the export market.The gold zone, whose core focus will be a jewellery manufacturing centre, will be situated on land made available by Rand Refinery at its Germiston complex in Gauteng.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Business Partners backs revivals
THE fight against urban degeneration is receiving support from an unlikely source, the former Small Business Development Corporation, now called Business Partners. In the eyes of many, Business Partners is a small to medium-sized business financier, but a closer look shows a passionate interest in property investment in not so popular nodes.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Iscor says strike threat is premature
South African steel producer Iscor said yesterday threats by union members of a strike were premature and the company would try to resolve grievances as soon as possible.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

ApexHi hits milestone following acquisitions
ACQUISITIONS worth R173m announced yesterday have boosted the asset value of property loan stock company ApexHi Properties to R2,1bn. The R2bn mark is considered an important milestone in the listed property sector of the JSE Securities Exchange SA, which has been infested by smaller and illiquid property funds.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Gilboa's future hangs on transaction
THE future of Gilboa Properties, the property investing company seeking to transform itself into a mining player, still hangs in the balance. The release of the firm's financial results for the six months ended December at the weekend was overshadowed by doubts about its ability to continue operating as a going concern.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Khula may become retail finance agent
KHULA Enterprise Finance, a wholesale financing agency for small businesses, has invited tenders for research into the feasibility of extending its mandate to retailing of its financial services products directly to customers.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Restitution process gathers pace
SEVEN years after the landrestitution process was launched to restore land to communities dispossessed of their land rights after 1913, the halfway mark has finally been reached.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Draft law on new-order mineral rights
CAPE TOWN Draft legislation dealing with the registration of mining titles under the new regime of the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act was tabled in Parliament yesterday. The Mining Titles Registration Amendment Bill, which will create a centralised deeds and information service, is a necessary condition for the implementation of the act, promulgated last year and which gives custodianship of mineral resources to the state.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Most provinces improve overall budget control
CAPE TOWN Spending by SA's nine provinces this financial year is on track, with the provinces having spent R104,5bn or 71% of their total budget of R147bn so far.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Government intends to develop policy for municipal debtors
CAPE TOWN Government intends developing an all-embracing indigent policy that will partly address the problem of debts owed to municipalities, Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi said yesterday. The debt is currently running at a total of about R23bn.
(©www.bday.co.za)

SABC kicks off spending on digital equipment
CAPE TOWN The SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has embarked on a capital investment programme that will see it spending R800m to R900m over the next five to eight years. The broadcaster yesterday revealed its first acquisition in the programme which was set to take it into the digital age.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Industry has a responsibility to community
Companies are helping to create a healthy society, writes Erica Webster. THERE is a growing acceptance in the pharmaceutical industry as in other industries that companies have a responsibility to the broader community. Many operators in the pharmaceutical industry have aligned their corporate social investment (CSI) strategies with their core business the provision of quality health care.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Nissan SA eyes global market
NISSAN SA hopes to begin exporting locally assembled bakkies to the global market. This was disclosed yesterday by the company's CE, Mike Whitfield, who said that the recent renewal of the Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP) would help him in persuading Japanese executives that new export-oriented vehicle production should begin at Nissan SA's Rosslyn plant.
(©www.bday.co.za)

SA to bid for Northern Cape to build array of radio telescopes
CAPE TOWN With an eye to the sky, SA is gearing up to launch a bid for astronomy's next big thing, the $1bn square kilometre array (Ska). The international astronomical community is planning to build a huge array of radio telescopes, with a combined collecting area 100 times bigger than that of the largest existing such device, the 82-dish Very Large Array radio telescope in New Mexico. It will enable scientists to probe the early evolution of our galaxy, about 300000 to 1-billion years after the universe began.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Global uncertainty, stronger rand making manufacturers cautious
The South African Chamber of Business (Sacob) yesterday reported that overall confidence levels in the manufacturing sector declined in January, following on manufacturing output that seems to have reached a ceiling for the time being.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

SA explores cheap Aids drug plan
The South African government, under growing pressure to supply anti-Aids drugs nationwide, said this week it was exploring a cost-effective way of providing life-saving anti-retroviral medications.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

WTO membership rises to 145
This week Armenia became the 145th member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), 30 days after the secretariat received official notification of the ratification of Armenia's Protocol of Accession. The General Council approved the country's accession package last December.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

SA airports in big security overhaul
Local airports operator, the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa), is to spend about R140-million over the next two to three years on improving aviation security at its ten airports.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

SA appoints top official to oversee new SNO bid
The South African Department of Communications has appointed a top official to oversee the second bidding process to find a suitable investor for a 51% equity stake in the second national operator (SNO) in the country’s telecommunications sector.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

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Minimum wage now set for wholesale, retail workers
Pretoria - The Department of Labour reminded employers on Tuesday that a sectoral determination for the wholesale and retail sector came into effect on Saturday, setting minimum wages and conditions for workers in this sector.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Office and retail block gets R5,5m makeover
RMB Properties has spent R5,5m in an attempt to revitalise an office and retail development in the centre of Cape Town called Wesbank House. The move represents a boost of confidence for the Cape Town central business district (CBD).
(©www.bday.co.za)

KFC drums up a finger lickin' good profit
Durban - Forget your boerewors and pap - the big money-spinner in the food stakes in this part of the world is now fried chicken with a coating created by a jolly colonel in the deep south of the US. Southern Africa was the sixth-largest market for KFC in store numbers worldwide last year, the group said yesterday.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

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OBITUARY
RON GILCHRIST
It is with great sadness that SAFCEC has learned of the death of Ron Gilchrist on 2 February 2003. Ron was born and educated in Scotland where he obtained a B.Sc in Civil Engineering from the University of Glasgow in 1957. Immediately after qualifying Ron moved to East Africa where for seven year he worked on the design and construction of hydroelectric and thermal power stations, canals and small dams.
(©www.safcec.org.za)

COURSE ON THE “NEW” FIDIC CONTRACTS
SAFCEC will present a one-day course on the “new” FIDIC Contracts in Bedfordview on Wednesday, 12 March 2003. The “new” FIDIC (1999) contract documents represent a radical change in both approach and content to the previous editions and other contract conditions. Not only the contractor, but both the Employer and the Engineer are vitally affected by these changes and these new and ever more widely used conditions deserve close attention and analysis before being put to use.
(©www.safcec.org.za)

NORTH BRANCH NEWS
It has been a very busy week at the North Branch. Vukani Khumalo our newly appointed mentor joined us on Monday and we welcome him as a member of the team. He has really hit the ground running and has been very busy acquainting himself with the emerging members and the CIETS programmes. You will be hearing more from him about his activities in the forthcoming weeks.
(©www.safcec.org.za)

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Nepad still lacks widespread support
Cape Town - A senior foreign affairs official admitted yesterday that a lot of work still had to be done to popularise the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), its economic programmes and its peer review structures to ensure democracy, good governance and economic stability in Africa.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

AgriSA differs with minister on land reform in Zimbabwe
Union claims that political patronage action wreaks irreparable damage'. SA FARMERS contradicted Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza's optimistic views on Zimbabwe's land-reform process after both visited the country last week.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Africa aims to blend into global economy
GLOBALISATION is good for most of the world's citizens. The snag is that its benefits are unevenly felt and have yet to reach millions of ordinary people in Africa and other developing regions.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Private sector, state told to help Angola back onto its feet'
Food aid will not last forever, warns UN chief AFTER almost a year of peace in Angola, UN World Food Programme (WFP) executive director James Morris has warned that emergency food aid would not last forever and urged the government and private sector to get the country "back on its feet".
(©www.bday.co.za)

Kenya's positive outlook lures institutions
Country's charm is that it is the hub of east Africa and underdeveloped in financial services. SA FINANCIAL services companies are strengthening their presence in Kenya as they take advantage of an improved political outlook and legislative changes that make the market more attractive.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Swaziland gets R881m loan for electricity
Johannesburg - The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) yesterday signed a E97.14 million (R881 million) loan with the Swaziland Electricity Board to finance the utility's bulk electricity supply project.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

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De Beers aims to step up output at African mines
DE BEERS is looking to increase the number of diamonds it mines this year after eating into its stockpiles last year. Although there is still room to draw them down further, it is now keen to increase production from its African operations despite expectations of a drop-off in diamond sales.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Production, earnings rise at Northam
AN INCREASE of 35% in production at platinum group metal miner Northam Platinum helped the company post net earnings 63% higher for the six months to the end of December.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Anglo prepares to make second appeal
The mining giant will try next Friday to prevent the IDC from participating in the merger hearing on Anglo's acquisition of iron ore stake in Kumba and Anglovaal Mining.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Mining sector transformation to be accelerated
The transformation of the country's multi-billion Rand mining sector must be fast tracked to ensure that mineworkers and poor South Africans get a piece of the cake in a meaningful and sustainable way, says mineral and energy minister Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Phosa acquires 50% in contract miner for R17,5m
A Vuka Alliance-led empowerment consortium under the leadership of the former Premier of Mpumalanga, Dr Mathews Phosa, has bought a 50% stake in R100 million-a-year contract mining company Ruslyn Mining and Plant Hire, for R17,5 million.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Study on to add value to coal fines
Research into the dense-medium beneficiation of fine coal and the agglomeration of coal fines without a binding agent, which is being undertaken as part of the Coaltech 2020 initiative, has produced encouraging results, but the project-implementation team stresses it is early days yet to say if a commercial breakthrough is in the offing.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

De Beers, Angola make moves to end stand-off
Having suspended its investments and prospecting operations in Angola in 2001, diamond giant De Beers has since made various efforts to re-establish its roots in that diamond-rich country.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

World Bank risk agency dips into African mining
The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (Miga), affiliated to the World Bank, is one of the world’s biggest multilateral political risk insurers.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

African investment climate improving
A number of factors have come together in Africa, making the continent a much more attractive investment option, Grant Lowman of Rand Merchant Bank’s (RMB’s) mining and minerals project finance division tells Mining Weekly.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Empowerment finance focused
Standard Corporate and Merchant Bank (SCMB) is working to ensure that project finance for smaller empowerment miners is not out of reach, say head of project finance Greg Ansermino and project finance colleague Brad Breetzke.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Mining, metals division has $6-billion global exposure
British banking multinational Barclays Bank has had a long association with Africa, and this extends into its involvement with financing the mining and metals sector, Gerard Holden, of Barclays’ London office, and merchant banker, Dharmesh Kalyan, based in Johannesburg, tell Mining Weekly. (©www.miningweekly.co.za)

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House prices pick up as market surges
Stock shortages reflect demand and the emergence of a broader class of consumers. THE SA housing market is a living testimony that apartheid was based on bad economics.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Triple tax whammy on CC-owned properties
It is now inadvisable to buy a property-owning company, CC or trust instead of the property itself - or to register a newly purchased residential property in anything but your own name, thanks to new legislation in effect since December.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Property owners beat inflation
Despite a slight decline in the final quarter, house prices showed overall growth in 2002, with the national average coming out 3,7 percent ahead of inflation at R358 000 by year end.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Investors flock to booming Ballito
Just how strong the property boom in Ballito is was clearly illustrated recently when a cluster home development of 21 units in the north coast town was sold out in just two hours, at a total value of about R17-million.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Warning: Say no to early occupation
One of the major causes of misunderstandings - and disputes - between home buyers and sellers is a lack of clarity about the date on which the buyer will actually be allowed to occupy the property.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Getting a good start on credit
An immaculate credit record is almost as good as cash in the bank. It may appear to be an exaggeration, but that, at least, is the way most mortgage providers appear to view an applicant's financial history.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Sprucing up on a shoestring
Unless you're moving into a sparkling, spanking-new home, the chances are good that you'll begin noticing things you'd like to change as soon as you see the property empty of the seller's belongings.
(©www.property24.co.za)

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Economic Perspective: Investment overview
Author : Absa Group Economic Research
Publication Date : 06 February 2003
Introduction : 1st quarter 2003
Click here to download (in PDF format)
(©www.absa.co.za)

Bridge specifications for high-performance concrete
In 1993, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) initiated a national program to implement the use of high performance concrete (HPC) in bridges. The program included the construction of demonstration bridges in several states. In addition, other States have implemented the use of HPC in various bridge elements. Construction of these bridges has provided a large amount of data about the use of HPC and has indicated the need to update bridge specifications for use with HPC.
This article is in two parts...
Part 1
Part 2
(©www.concreteproducts.com)

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Global markets remain nervous as war looms
OIL prices continued to bubble above the $30 a barrel mark on Friday as tension over Iraq continued to brew, setting the scene for another nervous week on global markets.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Mint has been linked to fake R5 coin factory
POLICE are investigating the possibility that machinery used to manufacture fake R5 coins that have been flooding the market may have come from the SA Mint. A machine, believed to be a 1986 model with reference numbers, was discovered on Tuesday afternoon during a raid by the Johannesburg and Pretoria commercial crime units on a property in Benrose, east of Johannesburg.
(©www.bday.co.za)

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FNB homeloans fix rate at 14.5%
FNB HomeLoans says it would be passing on to consumers the benefits of an anticipated reduction in interest rates later this year by fixing their interest rate at 14.50% for 18 months.
(©www.news24.com)

CWC R300m boost for economy
Organisers of the 2003 CWC expect to clear about R300m from the event and earnings are expected to surpass those of the 1999 Britain CWC.
(©www.news24.com)

NNP: transparent SNO process
The New National Party says the Independent Communications Authority and Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri should resolve their differences and get the licensing process of Telkom's competitor back on track.
(©www.news24.com)

Eyes on platinum, financials
South African equity investors will be looking out for earnings from the two big platinum producers next week in a bourse expected to remain nervous while war drums beat.
(©www.news24.com)

JOIN US FOR THE 2003 JOHANNESBURG GOLF DAY
VENUE: Wanderers Golf Club
DATE: Tuesday 25 February 2003
COMPETITION: Four-ball Alliance 2 to count
COST: R600 per four-ball
Click here to download the entry form

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the EIGHTH Annual General Meeting of the Gauteng Chapter will be held on Tuesday 18 February 2003 at 7:00 for 7:30 at the Protea Hotel in Midrand.
Note: 2 CPD points will be earned for attending this meeting
Click here to obtain full details in PDF format

NEWS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
For those of you who missed the latest update from the Department browse to http://www.asaqs.co.za

Click here to view the ASAQS Calendar or add events to it

Seen on Classifieds:
Experienced QS
A post exist for a Registered Quantity Surveyor in Kokstad with a minimum 4 years post qualification experience.
Dynamic and ambitious candidates with proven ability to manage projects independently should forward their CV's to The Advertiser.
The Package: Competitive salary with remuneration commensurate with experience are offered.
Junior QS
Posts exist for Quantity Surveyors with university degree or BTech qualification in Queenstown and Umtata.
Dynamic and ambitious candidates should forward their CV's to The Advertiser

Remember: Visit the ASAQS website for new updates!

New members to the CUG

Stephan Lindeque
Phillip Trapps
Francois Brits
Hedley Pougnet
Nontyatyambo Dazana

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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