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Many
dangers in focus on price
The emphasis on price in the procurement of professional engineering
services could compromise quality, says SA Association of Consulting
Engineers president Peter Silbernagl.
(©www.bday.co.za)
Public
Works spends its full R3,25bn budget
Government departments are often criticised for not successfully
dispensing of all the funds allocated to them in a given fiscal
year.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)
Building
collapses have industry in shock
The South African Institution of Civil Engineering, the Association
of Consulting Engineers, the Engineering Council of South Africa
(Ecsa), the Institute for Timber Construction and the Institute
for Municipal Engineers are preparing to lobby for stricter compliance
with building regulations.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)
Industrial
sector has growth potential, says Old Mutual Properties
Johannesburg - The industrial property sector offers growth potential,
Ian Watt, managing director of Old Mutual Properties, said on Wednesday.
He said bigger users were looking for premises better equipped than
what were on offer in the market. "This is leading to select
developments, notably for owner-users, and increasing opportunities
for redevelopment in older, industrial areas."
(©www.busrep.co.za)
R53,3m
for municipal development projects
Mpumalanga has budgeted more than R35,3-million for development
projects in Kungwini municipality near Bronkhorstspruit. Of this,
R18,2-million will be spent on the construction of 1 138 houses
in sections G and H of Ekangala once the land has been transferred,
said spokesperson for Premier Ndaweni Mahlangu, George Mohlamonyane.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)
Jo'burg
targets city buildings for renewal
A new report on inner-city housing in Johannesburg has identified
75 buildings for possible conversion into family housing units.
The report, commissioned by the Inner City Housing Upgrading Trust
and carried out by Dhlamini Quantity Surveyors Consortium, is part
of the council's continuing efforts to revitalise the city centre.
(©www.iol.co.za)
Dodgy
deals uncovered in KZN municipalities
Several municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal could lose as much as R60-million
after their officials used council money to invest in get-rich-quick
schemes. At least two investments, with a total value of R32,5-million,
involved Pieter Johan (Joe) Verster, the notorious former head of
the Civil Co-operation Bureau.
(©www.iol.co.za)
State
infrastructure to boost SA construction
South Africa’s construction industry is expected to get a boost
in the next three years from government plans to raise infrastructure
spending, the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) said.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)
Second
phase of village launched ahead of schedule
The second phase of the R80m residential village Gowrie, at Nottingham
Road in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, has been launched three months
ahead of schedule because of unexpected interest in the first phase,
says developer Guy Smith.
(©www.bday.co.za)
Crescent
challenges Gateway Theatre
JT ROSS & Son, Pangbourne Properties and BoE Corporate have
commissioned a new retail development in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal.
The Crescent, to be anchored by Pick 'n Pay, will be built next
to Old Mutual Property's R1,4bn Gateway Theatre of Shopping.
(©www.bday.co.za)
Durban
vies for a petrochemicals hub
A Multibillion rand petrochemicals hub in Durban, linked to the
city's existing oil refineries, is one of the main projects that
a new investment agency for KwaZulu-Natal is working hard to make
a reality
(©www.bday.co.za)
(Air)field
of dreams
The concept of building an international airport at La Mercy, north
of Durban, has been doing the rounds for so long, many believed
it to be dead in the water
(©www.bday.co.za)
Rail
upgrade plans scupper development of Umgeni Business Park
Durban - Phase two of the Umgeni Business Park, on a prime chunk
of the city's commercial and light industrial land, was unlikely
to go ahead because of plans for massive rail upgrades in about
2045. This was the word last week from Intersite, the property management
arm of the SA Railway Commuter Corporation (SARCC), which owns the
estimated 70ha piece of land.
(©www.busrep.co.za)
Plant
closure blow to Mooi River
Mooi River does not live up to its name. It is neither
a pretty town nor an attractive investment destination, despite
the best efforts of KwaZulu-Natal economic development and tourism
MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu and Mooi River mayor Mncdise Mthethwa.
(©www.bday.co.za)
Eastern
Cape to get R900m sugar beet boost
The poverty stricken Eastern Cape province is hoping to get a R900m
cash economic injection through a sugar beet growing and processing
project backed by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC),
the Land Bank and private parties, possibly including construction
giant Murray and Roberts, officials said earlier this week.
(©www.bday.co.za)
Cell
C puts smile on the face of Bakos Brothers
New cellular phone network operator Cell C has proved a boon for
Bakos Brothers Properties, filling its R80m Esher Place office park
development in Sandhurst, north of Johannesburg.
(©www.bday.co.za)
Nepad
faces big-five test
President Thabo Mbeki and his co-architects of the New Partnership
for Africa's Development (Nepad) have achieved the unthinkable in
less than two years since The Economist labelled Africa "The
Hopeless Continent".
(©www.bday.co.za)
First
investment by SA biotech fund
South Africa’s first biotechnology venture capital fund, Bioventures,
has made its first investment in a company involved in the development
of novel drug delivery systems.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)
SA
defence parastatal to restructure by June
South Africa hopes to conclude separate strategic partnerships between
its Denel Aerospace Group, Britain’s BAE Systems and Turbomeca
of France by the end of June, officials told legislators.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)
R65m
rail wagon export to Mauritania
A division of Johannesburg-based Dorbyl, RSD, will start work shortly
on a R65-million contract signed with SNIM, of Mauritania, for the
design, manufacture and commissioning of 150 iron-ore wagon bodies.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)
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| HOUSING
NEWS AND LAND ISSUES |
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ON
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
1-3 May 2002
Sandton, South Africa
The convention is a joint initiative organised by the:
Association of SA Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS),
SA Association of Consulting Engineers (SAACE),
SA Black Technical Allied & Careers Organisation
(SABTACO),
SA Institute of Architects (SAIA) and
SA Institute of Civil Engineering (SAICE).
Click
here to register
|
| Can you help to STEEL
THE SHOW? |
| Hannelie Coetzee, Photographer,
has invited Architects working with re-used steel to contact
her to assist her to take part in a photographic competition.
Her approach is to capture the ingenuity of re-used steel
in architecture with an innovative eye. The competition
"Steel the Show" aims to show that the re-use
of steel is environmentally wise. Steel lends itself to
being used more than once before eventually re-melting.
(Re-use of steel does not refer to the re-melting of steel).
The photographs will be exhibited by the South African
Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC) at the time of
the Earth Summit on Sustainable Development later this
year. For more information please contact Hannelie on
082 810 1835 or hannelie@greatstock.co.za |
| National Architectural
Competition Freedom Square, Kliptown, Soweto |
| The Johannesburg Development
Agency (JDA) invited architects, other professionals in
the building environment and any persons who believe they
have ideas to contribute to enter the national competition
for the development of Freedom Square. Freedom Square
was where the Congress of the People met in 1955 to discuss
the terms of the Freedom Charter. The SA constitution
owes much to the concepts expressed in the Charter. The
meeting in 1955, on an open piece of land in Kliptown,
is therefore of profound importance. Registrations take
place between 22 April and 13 May 2002, submission of
entries by 18 June 2002, and the announcement of the winner
takes place on 26 June 2002. First prize = R 300 000.00
second prize = R 200 000.00 third prize = R 100 000.00.
Requests for registration and other details must be faxed
or e-mailed to : the Competition Administrator, (011)
646-9643 e-mail hprins@accessweb.co.za |
| Concrete Manufacturers
Association |
| invites entries
for the 2002 Awards for Excellence competition. The purpose
of the awards is to recognise excellence in the aesthetic
and creative use of masonry, block paving, roof tiles,
retaining blocks and floor slabs and to honour those involved
in the design and construction. Closing date for entries
is 31st May 2002. Further information available on (011)
805-6742 or e-mail cma@cis.co.za |
| International Design
Competition: |
| Get inspired
and design the 1st Art Case Piano of the 21st Century.
The winning creative vision/design will be created in
the workshops of Maximiliaan’s House of Grand Pianos
and unveiled as a signature art piece during a month long
celebration of design and architecture at DCOTA, the world’s
largest design centre campus. Deadlines for submission
is 15 May 2002. See www.dcota.com for entry form. For
inspiration go to www.pianomax/com |
|
Thanks to PIA for the information
|
|
|
Land
rights draft bill draws concern from some quarters
Government is planning to have the controversial Communal
Land Rights draft bill ready for publication in the Government
Gazette in June, but some organisations remain concerned that
"fundamental issues" are not being resolved.
(©www.bday.co.za)
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Concerns
raised about Chad-Cameroon oil project
The construction of a proposed $3,5-billion Chad-Cameroon
oil development project has hit a major setback as a US Congress
subcommittee on Africa met last week to discuss the effects
of the project on both the environment and the people of the
world’s poorest continent.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)
Land
resettlement in Namibia is too slow'
The Namibian government's land resettlement programme is poorly
planned and being implemented too slowly, says an independent
study on land reform in the country.
(©www.bday.co.za)
Mugabe's
cronies snatch prize white farms
President Robert Mugabe's cronies are moving in the wake of
the marauding veterans to grab prime commercial farms for
themselves, giving the lie to Mugabe's claim that he is dispossessing
white farmers for peasant resettlement.
(©www.iol.co.za)
Zimbabwe
cheers block of rights probe
Zimbabwe has welcomed an African-led vote that blocked a European
Union (EU) call for United Nations (UN) human rights investigations
into the southern African country.
(©www.bday.co.za)
Zimbabwean
militants target Indian property
Government-backed militants have threatened to seize property
owned by members of Zimbabwe's Indian community, who they
have accused of being "economic looters", unless
they hand it over to blacks.
(©www.bday.co.za)
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A
practical example of how willing partners get it right
Working on equal terms with each other prevents dependency.
Tension was running high three years ago between locals and
Placer Dome, a Canadian mining company, over its joint venture
to mine gold at Las Cristinas in Venezuela's Bolivar state.
(©www.bday.co.za)
Sibiya
wants Harmony to set record straight
Gordon Sibiya, a former nonexecutive director of Harmony Gold,
has lambasted the gold mining company for its "indecent"
handling of his removal from the company's board.
(©www.bday.co.za)
Gauteng
gold miner plans $14m capex
In an effort to boost gold production, Gauteng miner Durban
Roodepoot Deep (DRD) plans to raise capital expenditure to
$14-million next year, chairperson and CE Mark Wellesley-Wood
reported yesterday.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)
Investors
applaud gold hedge cutting
Gold miners are getting a pat on the back from investors for
a nice piece of housekeeping – trimming their hedges,
analysts said. ‘Hedge cutting’ has been hailed as
good husbandry and has helped sparked the gold price close
to its highest level in more than two years and led to a surge
in gold equity stocks.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)
China
zinc output curtailed by concentrate squeeze
China’s monthly zinc output will likely stay at a low
150 000 tons through the second quarter due to a concentrate
squeeze and dismal treatment charges, industry officials and
analysts said.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)
Mine
water project comes to a standstill
The rising water table poses one of the biggest threats to
the mines on the Rand, with an ever-increasing risk of flooding
and the potential impact of decant water on the environment.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)
Gauteng
zinc refinery looks to the DRC for concentrate
One of the lowest-cost zinc producers in the world, Zincor,
of the East Rand, is investigating the possibility that the
Kipushi zinc-copper mine, in the Katanga province of the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC), will be a future source of the local
refinery's zinc concentrate.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)
African
projects aplenty for UK shaftsinker
Wholly-owned by AMCO Investments, a UK-based company, Shaft
Sinkers is thought to be Africa's most experienced international
contractor in shaftsinking, mining contracting, construction,
large underground excavations and tunnelling, MD Peet Nel
tells Mining Weekly.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)
Mines
take delivery of drilling equipment
A specialist in providing cost-effective solutions to the
mining industry, Hydro Power Equipment (HPE), is delivering
new drilling equipment to two of its clients this month, director
André Swart reports.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)
SA
platinum giant approves Canada exploration
Canadian miner Pacific North West Capital (PFN) has announced
that Anglo Platinum approved a $1,25-million dollar budget
for the 2002 exploration programme on the Agnew Lake property.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)
Zambia
copper mine in ownership rejig
Canada’s First Quantum Minerals said it had cut its stake
in Zambia’s Mopani Copper Mines to 16,9% from 44% but
would remain active on the rich Zambian copperbelt.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)
Free
State JV could become model
IT is too early to say whether or not the arrangement between
Free Gold JV partners African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) and Harmony
Gold over new opportunities will continue beyond October.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)
Marula
platinum project, Limpopo
Impala Platinum in a joint-venture with Mmakau Mining and
a consortium representing Limpopo Province communities is
developing a platinum-mine which will produce 100 000 oz/y
of platinum during the initial phase.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)
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