Inflation likely to offset real growth in house prices'
HOUSE prices are likely to end this year with a flat real growth rate in the light of high inflation, according to Absa's latest house price quarterly survey.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Potential seen in industrial sector
THE industrial property sector offers growth potential given a limited supply, particularly of larger units, says Old Mutual Properties MD Ian Watt. Bigger users are looking for premises better equipped than what is on offer, says Watt.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Arup gives boost to empowerment in SA
Pretoria - Arup, the leading international consulting engineering firm, has given significant impetus to its transformation initiatives and commitment to black economic empowerment in its newly unveiled corporate structure for its South African practice.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Black-owned property management firm upbeat
ANOTHER black-owned and operated property management company, Hermans & Roman, has been launched, this time by former Intersite Property Management executive Kevin Roman and former David Newham Property Group financial director Leslie Hermans.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Employee incentives under threat
EMPLOYEES who share in the prosperity of the company they work through share options are in for a shock...
(©www.bday.co.za)

Rand leases to roll out 12 000 houses
PROPERTY loan stock company Rand Leases Properties is to roll out another 12000 low-cost houses in Bram Fisherville, between Soweto and Roodepoort.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Pipeline will give Sasol alternative to coal
Mbeki, Chissano attend ceremony to mark start of project to channel gas from Mozambique to SA Industrial Reporter THE construction of the R14bn Sasol pipeline that will transport natural gas from Mozambique to SA will provide the petrochemical compa...
(©www.bday.co.za)

Vying for SA's gas fields
Shell and Sasol both have plans for pipeline to Western Cape Industrial Reporter ENERGY companies are falling over one other to exploit the natural gas fields along the west coast of SA and Namibia. Shell SA and Sasol both have plans to develop a p...
(©www.bday.co.za)

A duty-free zone for high-value goods
AS JOHANNESBURG International Airport increases its passenger and freight throughput, it increases the marketing platform for SA goods
(©www.bday.co.za)

iProp shareholders are dealt a blow
Hope of benefiting from the proposed unbundling has been dashed by interest rate volatility Property Editor THE hope of iProp shareholders benefiting from the proposed unbundling of the property group has been temporarily dashed because of interest ...
(©www.bday.co.za)

Riverside bargain' under investigation
TRANSNET has appointed a team of internal and external auditors to investigate allegations that Spoornet CEO Zandile Jakavula bought a riverside property from the rail utility for an amount that was far less than its actual value...
(©www.bday.co.za)

Public works empowers black contractors
CAPE TOWN The Public Works Department allocated R908m in capital works projects to black contractors during the 2001-02 financial year, Public Works Minister Stella Sigcau said in her budget vote speech yesterday.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Public works gets its spending right
Cape Town - The public works department had at last come to grips with its capital works and planned maintenance budget, spending 100 percent of the R1.7 billion allocated in 2001/02, Stella Sigcau, the public enterprises minister, told the national assembly yesterday.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Unique deal keeps Mooi River running
Durban - In a ground-breaking agreement, the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu) yesterday signed a unique deal with the management of Da Gama Textiles that would keep Mooi River Textiles running for at least another year.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Slalom on a Shanghai slope
Developer offering the world's newest alpine destination IT IS a hot and humid place, and building is taking place on a former swamp which is hours away from the nearest hill.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Acsa is en route to a 24% rise in revenue
Cape Town - Airports Company SA (Acsa) expected to lift total revenue by 24 percent to R1.62 billion in the year to March 2003, Monhla Hlahla, the chief executive, told the parliamentary transport portfolio committee yesterday.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Strike ballot at Cape Concrete
Johannesburg - Members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) at a Cape Concrete plant on the Cape Peninsula would take part in a strike ballot today over wage increases, the union said yesterday.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Empowerment first for property sector
Pretoria - The country's first wholly black-owned empowerment property management firm has been launched by former Intersite Property Management executive manager Kevin Roman.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

ApexHi sports highest trading volume in property loan sector
Pretoria - ApexHi Properties, the property loan stock company, had the highest trading volume in its sector, with more than 43.9 percent of its shares in issue being traded since the launch of its unique split unit structure in September last year, Gerald Leissner, the chief executive of ApexHi, said yesterday.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Regal's R80m sale a boon for depositors
Johannesburg - The sale of Regal Treasury Private Bank's prime Sandton property to Old Mutual for R80 million means the depositors, of which about 500 of the more than 1 100 remain, could get back at least 70 percent of their money, a figure much rosier than the 60 percent they had expected earlier in the year.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

SA amends enviro-study rules
The amendments to the current environmental impact assessment (EIA) regulations will be published on today in the Government Gazette.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

R1,4bn Cape dam gets approval
Cabinet has approved the construction of the long-awaited R1,4-billion Skuifraam dam on the Berg River, near Franschhoek in the Western Cape.
The project will be financed and implemented by the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority as an agent of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (Dwaf).
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Big restructuring for energy-supply firm
In a bid to streamline and focus on core business processes, Babcock Borsig Power Steinmuller Africa (BBP-SA) has undergone a restructuring programme in line with global trends, competitive positioning and black empowerment goals.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

R20m facelift for Soweto greenbelt
One of the few greenbelts and the only accessible water body in Soweto will be opened to residents on August 10, with the completion of a R20-million facelift at the Moroka and Thokoza parks.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Aids to cause mass absenteeism
In the next five years South African companies will see a fifteen-fold increase in absenteeism related costs due to HIV/Aids, says Lifeworks CEO Sean Jelley.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Big marketing drive for quality seal
The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) mark is staging a comeback, with an advertising campaign and road show which will again market the stamp of approval as one South African consumers can trust.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

King II: necessary but not enough to ensure good corporate governance
Despite having what is hailed to be the most advanced and comprehensive code on corporate governance in the world at present, South Africa needs to develop a culture of good governance within the corporate sector, if it is to achieve its economic growth targets in the future.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

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Avoiding storefront uniformity
For an industry in which the only constant is change, we have remained remarkably staid in our approach...
(©www.industryclick.com)

Breathe life into ailing centers
Is there any city or town in America that doesn't have at least one underperforming or unsightly shopping...
(©www.industryclick.com)

Epping and Maitland markets on the block
Business Editor CAPE TOWN The deregulation of agriculture and the primary food sector a decade ago has taken its toll on Cape Town's municipal facilities. Both the Epping fresh produce market and the Maitland abattoir are to be privatised
(©www.bday.co.za)

Acquisitions are drain for Octodec
Property Editor GROWTH through acquisitions has proved to be a drain on earnings for property loan stock company Octodec Investments, whose distribution came in almost flat in the six months to February. Killarney Mall, a shopping centre in Johann...
(©www.bday.co.za)

Time Machines
Fast forwarding into the future of office facilities
(©www.buildings.com)

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Namibia plans to alter land ownership trends
Windhoek Correspondent SA NATIONALS own at least 82 farms totalling about 805699ha in Namibia, says a preliminary report by the deeds office in the Namibian Ministry of Lands. Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Minister Hifikepunye Pohamba tol...
(©www.bday.co.za)

Farmers plan a land-care charter for world summit
Agriculture Correspondent GOVERNMENT, backed by organised agriculture, has embarked on an ambitious plan to get a charter on resource management and sustainable farming practices signed by "significant numbers" of farmers before the global summit
(©www.bday.co.za)

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Farmer resisting veterans' bid to evict him union
A ZIMBABWEAN farmer, barricaded in his house since April 16, had for 20 days running continued to resist efforts by selfproclaimed war veterans to evict him, Zimbabwe's Commercial Farmers' Union reported yesterday.
(©www.bday.co.za)

ChevronTexaco shuts down flow stations in Nigeria
Lagos - US oil group ChevronTexaco has shut down eight flow stations in southeast Nigeria because of community unrest, a company official told AFP Tuesday.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

BP Zambia to make shares available to public
Lusaka - British Petroleum (BP) in Zambia will next week offer both the country's public and institutions a 25 percent share in the company, an official from the stock market said Thursday.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Tenders out for infrastructure work on Angola oilfield
Oil firm TotalfinaElf has issued three key tenders for infrastructure work on its huge Dalia oilfield in Angola, but the target date for starting production there has slipped again, a spokesperson said.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

World Bank approves a $50m loan to Zambia
Lusaka - The World Bank has approved a $50 million loan to Zambia to streamline the oil industry and cushion ordinary Zambians from arbitrary price increases.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Kenyan entrepreneurs to hold Africa's first internet coffee auction
Nairobi - If enthusiasm could be turned into money, then the entrepreneurs behind east Africa's first internet coffee auction would be overnight millionaires.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

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Rumours about mining permits attract Scorpions
THE minerals and energy department's regional offices in Klerksdorp and Kimberley were closed yesterday while they were being raided by the Scorpions investigating unit after allegations they were issuing irregular mining permits. Director-general ...
(©www.bday.co.za)

Sound showing by Metorex
Resources Correspondent JUNIOR mining firm Metorex has recorded a 218% jump in headline earnings for the three months to the end of March.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Rolls-Royce to sue Randgold for $15m
Johannesburg - Randgold, a Kebble-controlled London-listed gold company, was facing a $15 million lawsuit after it allegedly failed to pay Rolls-Royce, the world's second-biggest jet engine maker, for generators supplied to Morila, Mali's biggest gold mine, it emerged yesterday.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Ferrochrome project on track
South African Chrome and Alloys said its 240 000 ton ferrochrome project was on track and deliveries would be made in the third and fourth quarters of this year as planned.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

$11,2m profit from gold junior
The London listed resources company, Randgold Resources, reported an operating profit of $11,2-million for the March quarter, up $4,8-million from the three months to December.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Platinum major in exploration deal
Platinum major, Anglo Platinum, has entered into an exploration joint venture agreement with Canadian mining and exploration company Anooraq Resources Corporation.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Gold sector's black chip lists next week
South Africa’s African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) will be the first new entrant on the Johannesburg bourse’s gold board in 15 years when it lists next Thursday.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Mine health and safety on the road to recovery
April saw the signing of a historic accord between government, labour and business, whereby they committed to prioritising the promotion of occupational health and safety (OHS) in the workplace.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Mine fatalities should not be par for the course
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is a body that prioritises the implementation of health and safety measures within the mining industry.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Technology narrows hazard-awareness gap between workers and managers
The research that Chris Chow, now business development director at Atio Corporation, an information technology (IT) company, carried out five years ago when he was a health and safety consultant at a large South African Consulting House, has resulted in the development of IT applications to enable mines to manage hazardous situations in real time.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

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New homes at: Jacobsbaai
With three phases already sold out, the Jacobsbaai development is once again proving the attraction of the Cape west coast for those in search of “the quiet life”.
(©www.property24.co.za)

New compliance system on the cards
Proposals for new national Electrical Installation Regulations have been published for comment and, if approved, will bring about some significant changes to the current electrical compliance certificate system.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Spotlight on: The Midlands
The KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, popularised with tourists by the highly successful Midlands Meander, is bidding for recognition nationally as a prime residential development area.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Rate rise now would be ‘wrong move’
A further interest rate rise – widely expected before the end of June – will have little effect on inflation, but is likely to do serious harm to economic growth, consumer confidence and housing affordability.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Prison boosts housing demand
The completion of a R1,7-billion maximum security prison nearby has had a distinctly positive spinoff for the Limpopo town of Louis Trichardt.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Follow the rules, get a better deal
It's not by chance that successful homebuyers end up with the properties they want - at the price they can afford to pay.
(©www.property24.co.za)

What ‘second-career’ buyers want
The worldwide revolution in the corporate world is creating a new breed of “retirees” - people in the 45 to 60 age group who are actually far from ready to retire, but who are often ready for a new home.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Property firm's sales hit R5bn
Pretoria - Pam Golding Properties (PGP), the residential arm of the Pam Golding Property group, achieved its best trading results with sales of R5.023 billion in the year to February.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

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Collaborative Working
Internet-based project repositories are more than online postmen. Brian O’Sullivan for International Construction magazine discovers what is needed is not a systems upgrade as a mindset upgrade.
(©construction.about.com)

Go Wireless
Wireless technology has become a standard part of life for millions of people. Where would we be without our TV remotes, keyless entry systems, and cell phones? Consequently, commercial facilities have also been affected. What were once classrooms, boardrooms, and meeting rooms now must be high-tech multi-media centers equipped to accommodate the latest presentation equipment. For most organizations, this means retrofitting a room that wasn’t initially designed for the current purpose.
(©www.buildingsmag.com)

The New Math
School systems and construction professionals are looking at how to save money on school construction as new economic pressures squeeze project delivery.
(©enr.construction.com)

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Closing prices:
BUILDING, CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING

Business confidence shows slight improvement in April
Sacob's Business Confidence Index (BCI) increased by two index points from 99,3 in March to 101,3 in April. The BCI was now at the same level as in December 2001 but was still below the level of 102,5 registered in April 2001.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

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Rosy statistics don't tell full story on SA lifestyle
Journalists are often accused of not telling the good news, and it's a fair criticism. So here's some good news: The lives of most South Africans have improved, often dramatically, since 1994, according to the latest All Media and Products Survey (Amps) conducted by the SA Advertising Research Foundation.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Anglo sees slow recovery
Anglo American says it has seen some positive signs about the state of the global economy, but believes a recovery is unlikely to be rapid.
(©www.news24.co.za)

UK interest rates remain unchanged despite signs
Sapa-AFP LONDON The Bank of England left interest rates unchanged at 4% for the sixth month in a row yesterday after recent data showed that a fledgling recovery in the recession-ridden manufacturing industry had faltered.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Risk transfer
WE ARE living in an age of ‘risk transfer’, with most companies laying off as much risk as possible. Construction companies are no exception. Payment being the principal reward for commercial enterprise, contractors lay off the risk of non-payment by their clients to subcontractors. Whilst few subcontractors, when given a free hand, would be willing to accept this type of risk — they often have little option if they are to secure work. Clauses are frequently drafted into contracts aimed at achieving this end, referred to as ‘Pay when Paid’ clauses. When a contractor is not being paid by the client, subcontractors often provide good reasons why, despite the wording of the pay-when-paid clause; they are still entitled to reimbursement.
Roger Knowles
(©www.industryclick.com)

Are your mechanics doing the racecar driving?
As a person who manages project managers you understand the difficulties involved with watching a project that started out with such promise and potential spiral ever downward with each passing month until the project comes to end with more of a sense of relief than one of elation.
(©www.pmforum.org)

Hundreds of free templates for MS Office
A limited number of templates are available when you install Excel or Word - but Microsoft seems to hide the really good ones on their website!. Click here to browse the Microsoft Office Template Gallery.

Remember: Visit the ASAQS website for new updates!

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

Stewart Deenik
Ivy Halstead
Paul le Roux
Nishani Gungapersad
Marshall Dirkse van Schalkwyk
Stefanus Pienaar
Joseph Lebea
Jackie Thomson
Jannie Verwayen

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.

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