Shaking the Foundations
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October 2020 Vol 28 No 9 I-civili Enjeneering SHAKING THE COVID-19 AND THE GENERAL CONDITIONS FOUNDATIONS – TIME TO FUTURE OF PUBLIC OF SUBCONTRACT CHANGE THE STRUCTURE TRANSPORT IN FOR CONSTRUCTION OF OUR CITIES SOUTH AFRICA WORKS – AT LAST FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK The state of municipalities – understanding localisation in the procurement of services INTRODUCTION competitive and cost-effective. However, As articulated by President Ramaphosa Municipalities are important state organs such a preferred process is not always during his recent parliamentary speech which serve the role of an implementing followed. I recently read a story where a (15 October), competent people will agent for government’s developmental local business forum based in a particular ensure that every rand of public expendi- plans. Being the local component of the municipality demanded answers from ture in our country is spent productively three spheres of government (national, their Municipal Manager on why security to provide infrastructure, goods and provincial and local) municipalities are services contracts were awarded to services to the nation cost-effectively. closer to communities and are closely as- companies coming from outside their These actions are needed to support the sociated with service delivery. The health local municipality while there is capacity macroeconomic framework, and balances of each municipality is therefore a matter from security companies within the local the need to restore fiscal sustainability in of grave importance to government. municipality. This leads to the question of these tough economic times. Hence, localisation in the procurement the general understanding of localisation The anticipated District Development of goods and services is a matter which across the country by various local busi- Model will perhaps bring about the should be clearly articulated by govern- ness forums and communities. In another required realignment and ensure that ment, as communities and local business incident a local company which tendered competent people and ECSA-registered forums understand it differently to what for an access road construction project, professionals are appointed in key stra- is being communicated by National but lost in the bidding process, insisted tegic technical positions in municipalities. Treasury. According to National Treasury, at gunpoint to the winning bidder that localisation of goods and services means his company’s construction machinery IN CLOSING that a required good or service in a should be hired by the winning bidder With 2.2 million people having lost their particular municipality can be procured because his company is more local (lo- jobs in Q2-2020, according to Stats SA, the from a South African-owned company cated within a 3 km radius from the work country has to be even more prudent with regardless of which part of the country site) compared to the winning bidder its limited financial resources. The need the company originates from or where it whose company offices are about 20 km for effective and efficient coordination is based. However, the company may be from the work site. These problems are and integration of the various spheres of required to have a local footprint in the prevalent across the country, and people’s government is at an all-time high. municipality concerned. In other words, lives are in danger while others have been The localisation ideology is a noble the company does not have to be based lost through a clear misunderstanding of strategy aimed at addressing inequality. within the boundaries of the local munici- what localisation is. What is required is for it to be understood pality to qualify for localisation, save for by all and implemented effectively to achieving local footprint requirements. APPOINTMENT OF NON-TECHNICAL ensure inclusivity to the intended scale and Many incidents of business forums PEOPLE IN TECHNICAL POSITIONS success needed to deal with the intractable disrupting work sites based on the In addition to the misunderstanding challenges and problems facing the nation. perceived lack of localisation of projects around localisation, some municipalities Policy articulation of what lo- have been widely reported. Clear policy have appointed non-technical people to calisation is, accompanied articulation and guidance by government head technical departments. This carries a by effective communica- are needed to address these challenges. huge risk of misinterpreting the mandates tion by government of these departments, i.e. to plan and and buy-in from all PROCUREMENT deliver high-quality services that are in line stakeholders, is a long- With the economy in a delicate state with the prescripts of the law. It is therefore overdue matter. due to Covid-19, procurement of goods understandable that regulatory bodies like and services as provided for in the the Engineering Council of South Africa Fana Marutla Constitution (Section 217), PFMA (ECSA) are advocating that only ECSA- SAICE President 2020 (Section 38 (a)(iii)) and MFMA (Section registered professionals be appointed in [email protected] 65 (2)(i)), is supposed to be a water-tight certain technical positions in munici- process following a structured way of palities. This is to ensure that competent legally securing the best qualified service people are appointed in these positions and providers for the required goods and are equal to the task of delivering high- services in any state organ. This is to be quality engineering services. This cannot done adhering to a well-known process be achieved unless people with the right which is fair, equitable, transparent, skills are appointed in these positions. Civil Engineering October 2020 1 October 2020 Vol 28 No 9 I-civili Enjeneering SHAKING THE COVID19 AND THE GENERAL CONDITIONS FOUNDATIONS TIME TO FUTURE OF PUBLIC OF SUBCONTRACT CHANGE THE STRUCTURE TRANSPORT IN FOR CONSTRUCTION OF OUR CITIES SOUTH AFRICA WORKS AT LAST I-civili Enjeneering = IsiXhosa ON THE COVER ON THE COVER P6 As a joint venture M&D Construction Group and Efficient Trotech are constructing two new double-walled catch-pot tanks at Total The construction by M&D Construction and Efficient Trotech of two new double-walled catch- South Africa’s state-of-the-art fuel depot in pot fuel tanks under way at Total South Africa’s fuel depot in Alrode, Gauteng Alrode, Gauteng. With safety being a very high priority, a novel construction technique was implemented to prevent the flight of welding sparks close to existing fuel tanks. FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK The state of municipalities – understanding localisation in the procurement of services. 1 South African Institution of Civil Engineering CEO’S CORNER October 2020 Vol 28 No 9 Embracing diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. 4 I-civili Enjeneering ON THE COVER PUBLISHED BY SAICE Block 19, Thornhill Office Park, Bekker Street, Vorna Valley, Midrand Private Bag X200, Halfway House, 1685 Innovation places fuel tank construction programme in the fast lane . 6 Tel +27 11 805 5947/8 | Fax +27 11 805 5971 http://www.saice.org.za | [email protected] CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Vishaal Lutchman PrEng PMP [email protected] | Tel: +27 11 805 5947/8 URBAN AND RURAL ENGINEERING EDItor Verelene de Koker [email protected] Tel +27 11 805 5947/8 | Cell +27 83 378 3996 Shaking the foundations – time to change the structure of our cities ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 9 EDItorIAL PANEL Marco van Dijk (chairman), Irvin Luker (vice-chairman), Covid-19 and the future of public transport in South Africa ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Fana Marutla (president), Vishaal Lutchman (CEO), 13 Steven Kaplan (COO), Andile Gqaji, Jeffrey Mahachi, Avi Menon, Prisca Mhlongo, Jones Moloisane, Beate Scharfetter, Verelene de Koker (editor), Sharon Mugeri Intersection Traffic Engineering: Part 5 (Delay and Queues). 15 (editor’s assistant), Barbara Spence (advertising) ANNUAL SUBSCRIptION ratE R730.00 (VAT included) The Trans-Kalahari Corridor: An assessment of bottlenecks and ADVErtISING transit time for cross-border road transport operations . 20 Barbara Spence, Avenue Advertising [email protected] Tel +27 11 463 7940 | Cell +27 82 881 3454 ISO Parshall flume or ASTM (US) Parshall flume – clarifying the confusion DESIGN AND REproDUctION Marketing Support Services, Ashlea Gardens, Pretoria around standards for flow measurement and monitoring �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������23 PRINTING Fishwicks, Pretoria Wind farms are changing the face of rural South Africa �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������26 The South African Institution of Civil Engineering accepts no responsibility for any statements made or opinions expressed in this publication, and all information is The role of glass and steel fibres in concrete. provided without prejudice. Consequently nobody 30 connected with the publication of the magazine, in particular the proprietors, the publishers and the editors, will be liable for any loss or damage sustained by any reader as a result of his or her action upon any statement or opinion published in this magazine. STANDARDS ISSN 1021-2000 History