15 Oct 2013

Building & Construction

Ramphele: Drop BEE

Agang SA leader Mamphela Ramphele has called for SA to abandon empowerment, which, she says, has not worked. A great many people would agree with her. She also said that under an Agang government, officials found guilty of corruption would be jailed for a minimum of 15 years. Do we hear calls of "More!" "More!"?

Our education system is generally considered by quite a few people to be in a shambles, so it's not surprising that it's bleeding teachers. According to Angie Motshekga, some 14,000 teachers left the education department in the 2012/13 financial year. Of these, 6,272 resigned. If one reads media reports of teachers being assaulted, disruptive pupils and what-have-you, the only real surprise is that there are not more teachers taking the gap and taking up less onerous jobs in which they will have the respect they deserve... from all quarters.

We need entrepreneurs here, but Canada plans to lure SA entrepreneurs to Canada with a Start-up Visa. So what are we going to do to keep our budding entrepreneurs and future employers here?

Come fly with me - but only if you have a bit of cash... Rob Baker (no relation, as you can see he's far better looking than I am) makes some points about what the role of a state-owned airline should be, and also, what the state should not do that might stifle competition.

Rod Baker, Content Director

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Weekly top stories

Historical Het Gesticht museum restored
Het Gesticht, an old slave church in Paarl in the Boland, today is a museum that serves as a symbol of reconciliation between the communities that were driven apart by the draconian laws of the past. Two centuries on since its construction, the building has recently undergone external redecoration and repairs. Read more >>

Building & Construction
French, SA companies encouraged to work together
PRETORIA: French and South African companies have been encouraged to work together to ensure the industrialisation of South Africa and the African continent. Read more >>

Saint-Gobain publishes Housing in South Africa
Saint-Gobain has produced a coffee table book, which highlights the complexities of the South African housing situation. It also aims to introduce the benefits of innovative building solutions to assist in meeting the challenges faced. Read more >>


Building Materials & Equipment
Locomotive needed for construction of Western Aqueduct
During the past weekend the Umgeni Steam Railway in KwaZulu-Natal has loaned Cycad Construction a Class 19D steam locomotive to haul 40 massive 18-metre long pipes to appropriate points along the 7km pipeline route which extends from Inchanga Station to Alverstone Neck. Read more >>


Construction & Engineering
SA engineers concerned about the future
Respondents to a recent PPS survey displayed a worrisome 42% average confidence level when asked whether they felt government was effectively delivering on its promised infrastructure spend. Read more >>


Sustainable Development
GBCSA to launch new category for rating tools
The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) is set to launch a new PILOT Socio-Economic Category (SEC) for Green Star SA rating tools, which aims to recognise the socio-economic achievements of green building projects. Read more >>


International

Dubai property bounces but stirs fears of new bubble
DUBAI, UAE: Dubai's property sector is making a strong comeback five years after prices in the emirate nosedived, but a surge in demand and bouncing prices have triggered calls to remember the crisis. Read more >>


More International


Government

Shale gas exploration an opportunity for SA
Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu says the potential for shale gas exploration and exploitation provides an opportunity for South Africa to begin exploring the production of its own fuel and marks the beginning of the re-industrialisation of the economy. Read more >>

Calls for speedy resolution of labour disputes
President Jacob Zuma has urged labour and business to work on any unresolved labour disputes so that the economy can return to full production. Read more >>

Business must help in Youth Employment Accord
[Nthambeleni Gabara] Business should partner with government in devising an intervention anchored on the pillars of the Youth Employment Accord, says Transport Minister Dipuo Peters. Read more >>

Patel reports funding records
Industrial funding disbursements and a crackdown on cartels was at a record high in the 2012/13 financial year, Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel said on Tuesday (8 October). Read more >>


More Government news


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