THIRD ANNUAL REPORT

1 APRIL 2000 - 31 MARCH 2001

Dr P W B Kruger
President

Different countries with their different economies and different resources all find themselves with a growing interdependence due to the process of globalization. Engineering academies have increasing significance in providing guidance on vital technological competitiveness of countries in this rapidly changing technology driven environment.

During the past financial year the South African Academy of Engineering has made significant progress in preparing itself to address the relevant technological needs of our country and continent. The following actions have been taken: ·

• During the year, three Executive Committee Meetings and a Special General Meeting (SGM) were held in Pretoria and one regional meeting in Cape Town. 8 June 2000
  13 September 2000 (SGM)
  13 September 2000
  27 February 2001 (Regional)
  22 February 2001
• Eight new members were approved at the Special General Meeting of 13 September 2001 bringing the total membership to 69. Previous year-end membership totalled 63 and two fellows terminated their membership because of different personal reasons. The new members are:
  Johannes Auret (Director, Claassen Auret Inc)
  Gert Claassen (Chairman, Inala)
  Johann P du Plessis (Managing Director, BKS (Pty) Ltd)
  Dr Stephen J Lennon (Snr General Manager (Technology) Eskom)
  Michiel Lötter (Manager: Network Solutions, Alcatel Altech Telecoms)
  Trevor Manuel (Minister of Finance, Department of Finance)
  Andrew F B Mthembu (Managing Director, Vodacom (Pty) Ltd)
  Pieter W van der Walt (Dean of Engineering, University of Stellenbosch)
• Our adopted Constitution was approved by the South African Revenue Service, which gives us a tax exempt status.
• The Annual Hendrik van der Bijl Lecture was delivered by fellow Bingle Kruger at the University of Pretoria on 17 May 2000 on the subject "Consulting Engineering 2000" and was well attended and well received. The SAAE is now a member of the Organizing Committee for this prestigious annual event.
• A highly successful joint international symposium on Public Private Partnerships was held in Pretoria in November 1999 with the South African Civil Engineering Advisory Council, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and the South African Academy of Engineering. As envisaged, planning is now underway for a second joint symposium early in 2002 but this time in Australia. Our Academy has made certain proposals for topics to be considered in the areas of water resource management, water use efficiency and related environmental conservation. The Australian Academy is currently exploring the possibility that this Symposium be held back to back with a proposed international forum on water in Australia early 2002.
• Two successful induction ceremony dinners for our new fellows were held in Cape Town and Pretoria respectively. At both occasions Dr John Briscoe, senior advisor to the World Bank in Washington DC, gave a highly informative after-dinner speech on World Bank policy and practice on infrastructure development. He also mentioned the key role played by the American National Academy of Engineering in the formulation of governmental policies related to engineering and technology issues. The presence of minister Trevor Manuel as a new fellow at the Cape Town ceremony, made Dr Briscoe's contribution even more relevant. Dr Briscoe quoted examples substantiating the direct relationship between infrastructure spending and poverty alleviation in a number of poor countries supported by World Bank programmes - a matter of great interest to the minister.
• The new Academy membership certificate, based on the adopted logo, was approved at the EXCO meeting held on 8 June 2000. Certificates were subsequently issued to all fellows at the two induction dinners and by mail to those who could not attend the dinners.
• Good progress has been made with the Solutions 2000 project, a video on Engineering in Africa. On the initiative of fellow Dawid Mostert, the Academy is supporting the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) in a facilitating role to obtain funding from industry. Eskom, Sasol and Anglo American have been approached by our fellows with very promising prospects. This video series targets local and global TV audiences, presenting the African achievements and vital role of engineering in society and the opportunities it provides for the younger generation in terms of career options. A similar series by the same producer on global engineering achievements called The Elegant Solution, has been viewed with great success in more than eighty countries around the world. It was so successful that it received an award from the National Academy of Engineering in the United States.
• Fellow Hugh Hanrahan forwarded important comments on behalf of SAAE on the new Engineering Profession Bill that was enacted end 2000 and from which the new ECSA council is to be constituted by mid 2001.
• SAAE has been registered as a nominating body for the new ECSA council. We subsequently nominated two of our members to serve on the council: these are fellows Emil Horak and Braam le Roux.
• SAAE participated in the highly successful Technology Top 100 program of the Engineering Association, which culminated in a major annual award ceremony in November 2000 at Galagher Estate. Apart from taking part in the adjudication process the Academy also presented an award to the winner, Electric Genetics (Pty) Ltd, in the category "Research and Development".
• Fellow Ferdie Geyer obtained statistics indicating that more than 1600 engineers have permanently left South Africa. This does not include those who did not disclose their full intentions when leaving. The Academy is bringing the implications of the situation to the attention of Mr Ben Ngubane, Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology.
• Projects presently attended to include:
  
  • an agreement with minister Ben Ngubane based on the positive outcome of the first meeting regarding the intended role of SAAE in providing support to governmental policy development
  • an agreement with the South African Academy of Sciences
  • a survey on engineers in prominent roles of leadership in governments world-wide
  • completing the facilitation of the Solutions 2000 video project
  • developing an interest and support to other projects of the Engineering Association
  • building relationships with the many other engineering academies from whom we continuously receive information on their activities and invitations to attend their conferences
  • the development of meaningful participation of most, if not all, of our fellows in projects of the Academy

Our Academy has grown in number and membership relevancy. It succeeded in making valuable contact with other engineering academies in many countries. The most important task for the next year would be to forge a meaningful relationship at top governmental level. The very successful first meeting with Minister Ben Ngubane bodes well for this to be achieved.

Only through our local and global relevance and a strong and diversified knowledge base of our membership can we expect to do justice to the great cause expressed in the Aims and Objectives of our Constitution. Good progress has been made in the past year to develop an Academy that can contribute meaningfully to address the enormous needs of our country and continent - much more remains to be done. We need the support of all our fellows and a larger membership to meet the daunting future challenge successfully and to thereby qualify for the valuable membership of the international Council of Engineering Academies and Technological Sciences (CAETS).