SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT

1 APRIL 2003 - 31 MARCH 2004

Dr P W B Kruger
President

The South African Academy of Engineering (SAAE) has developed in two distinct phases since it was founded under the aegis of The South African Society of Professional Engineers (SPE) on 28 April 1992. It is now entering the third and last phase where it is able to meet the goal it shares with the National Academies around the world - service to the nation.

Phase 1
Initially the development of the SAAE was constrained by it being part of SPE. This was resolved in March 1995 when it became an independent body. However it continued to be small and largely inactive for the next few years awaiting the outcome of an initiative by The South African Engineering Association (SAVI) to form a unified representative body for the profession. It had no permanent office and, while Executive Committee (EXCO) meetings were held regularly and recorded, no annual reports were presented.

Phase 2
By November 1998 it became clear that unification of the engineering profession would not be achieved. SAAE then decided to actively grow the organization to carry out its mission. The BKS Group very kindly provided meeting facilities as well as free secretariat services. We thank them for their valuable support during a critical stage of development and especially Ms Amanda Steyn for her devoted attention to our needs. The Annual Reports from 1998 / 99 describe the major events and the professional activities of Phase 2, and can be read on the SAAE website.

Phase 3
With the SAAE Bill for formal recognition of the Academy in preparation by government, membership at 110, and with support from government, industry, and the professional bodies including The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), SAAE is now able to provide the service the nation needs.

The new EXCO to be elected at the AGM in May 2004 faces the challenge to ensure that In accepting the kind offer of ASSAf for SAAE to move to their new Pretoria offices and to use their secretariat from June 2004, we also demonstrate our fullest co-operation and support - an imperative in the interest of the future of both Academies and their service to our nation. We focus on enhancing the services rendered by SAAE and on obtaining the funding required to do so. We engage as many of our members as possible, both on projects as well as in serving on EXCO and its Committees.

We partake in The Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS) to the extent possible within our limited financial resources and extend joint international agreements to more Academies of Engineering.

We foster the development and support of the other engineering institutions in South Africa. We serve the needs of our nation and of the continent in accordance with best practice of the member academies of CAETS.

MEETINGS

Three EXCO Meetings were held in Pretoria during the Financial Year 2003 / 2004 on 15 May 2003, 4 November 2003 and 18 March 2004

An AGM took place on 15 May 2003.

MEMBERSHIP

Fellow Charles Liebenberg, the first President of SAAE passed away on 31 October 2003. A letter from the President expressing our sympathy as well as a Tribute and flowers were sent to Mrs Liebenberg and family. He was a great source of wisdom and provided valuable guidance during the first five years of SAAE. We honour him as one of the leading consulting engineers in the history of our country.

Fellow Archie Rohde passed away on 26 January 2004. He served for several years on SAAE’s EXCO and made a major contribution both as a noted consulting engineer and as a Professor and Head of the Civil Engineering Department, University of Pretoria . The SAAE President expressed our sympathy in presenting his wife and family with a special Tribute and flowers.

On 15 March 2004, EXCO approved fifteen nominations for further consideration for membership. The final nominations will be submitted for approval at the AGM on 26 May 2004 and new fellows will be listed in the next Annual Report. (The fifteen new members inducted during the past year received final approval at a Special General Meeting in February 2003 and were therefore listed in the previous Annual Report.)

The Induction Dinner in Gauteng took place at Gallagher Estates on 19 June 2003. The CEO and Deputy Chairman of SASOL was the guest speaker. He gave an inspiring address on the growth of SASOL and its transformation into a global player and listing on the New York Stock Exchange. SASOL is generally recognized as a world leader in the use of coal and gas for the production of liquid petroleum and key petro-chemical products locally and abroad.

The Western Cape Induction Dinner took place at Kelvin Grove Club in Cape Town on 19 September 2003. The guest speaker was Ms Joedy Cambridge, Transportation Research Board, National Academy of Engineers (USA). She gave a stimulating address on the key national and international role, structure and vast operations of the National Academy of Engineers (NAE) in the USA. She confirmed that NAE will gladly provide assistance to SAAE both on projects and on other Academy matters.

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES

The Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering (ATSE) held a very successful joint workshop with SAAE on Water Resource Management from 1 – 5 April 2003 in Melbourne, Australia, attended by 23 delegates from Australia and 10 from South Africa. The Proceedings have been published and are available from SAAE and ATSE. See the previous Annual Report for more detail. A joint workshop will be held again in South Africa in 2005.

Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE)
Activities planned for 2003/04 between CAE and SAAE.were curtailed by the outbreak of the SARS virus in China.
The Fourth Forum on SA – China Engineering and Technological Science Co-operation during the National Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) week took place on 9 May 2003.
SAAE received a number of delegations led by members of CAE. Presentations were arranged on technical topics of great interest to the visitors, some of which may well lead to the transfer of technology or export of products to The Peoples Republic of China.
A program of CAE/SAAE joint activities has been planned for 2004. This includes inter alia a visit to The Peoples Republic of China on the invitation of CAE, associated with their 10th anniversary.

The Royal Academy of Engineering requested the SAAE (and other Academies) to provide information and opinions on “the hydrogen economy“ and on world class research being done in this field. Fellow Philip Lloyd and Mr Carel Nel of I.C.A. Developments in Stellenbosch provided a good response on the subject and on some significant South African experience and research.

LOCAL ACTIVITIES

The Consultative President’s Forum of ECSA was created to facilitate communication between ECSA and voluntary societies in the engineering sector of South Africa. SAAE attended the first meeting on 14 March 2003 and used the opportunity to inform the Presidents of some 40 voluntary associations of the relevance of the SAAE to society and to the engineering community.

The Annual Hendrik van der Bijl Lecture in the centenary year of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering, was presented by the Group CEO of Murray & Roberts, Mr Brian Bruce on 15 May 2003 at the University of Pretoria. These lectures have been presented annually since 1963 by a leading personality under the general theme of the role of engineering in society. Mr. Bruce spoke on the topic of The Construction Industry and Socio-economic Development. His address can be read on the SAAE website.

A Draft Bill for SAAE has been presented to the Department of Science and Technology who are developing it further. The process has however been somewhat delayed by the National Election on 14 April 2004. With the support already indicated for the Bill, it is expected to have it enacted late in 2004.

A Draft Management Plan 2003 for SAAE has been completed and will be finalized as soon as the Bill is passed.

AfriCAN Solutions 2000 facilitated by SAAE, was successfully televised from 1 June 2003 on SABC 3 in 13 weekly episodes. (See previous Annual Report). The Film Council of Columbus (USA) awarded it an Honourable Mention as a series of significant value. This prestigious award carries considerable weight in the USA and around the world. Wide international distribution is on its way, with a positive engineering message from Africa. Another series is being planned.

Technology Top 100 Awards November 2003. The SAAE took part in the adjudication process and the Award in the Category : Research and Development went to De Beers TSS

• For their world class facilities and outstanding innovations such as X-Ray sorting of diamonds and simulations of diamond plants.
• For their outstanding technology management processes, using a full range of tools from technology scenarios to stage gating with risk management.
• For their rich range of approaches to skills transfer among staff to address growing shortages of qualified personnel.

Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Studies (STIAS). Fellows Dawid Mostert and Bingle Kruger have been invited by STIAS to take part in its international research project The Theory of Engineering and its Consequences. STIAS receives major financial support from abroad and is highly regarded locally and internationally.

GENERAL

The SAAE needs the support of an Act of Parliament in much the same way as Academies of Engineering in many other countries. An Act provides formal recognition for eminence and brilliance in engineering associated with SAAE membership, opinion, advice and activities -- a unique professional reward -- and facilitates relations with other Academies of Engineering and international engineering bodies
Government needs the Act to provide more effective access to the best engineering resources of the nation to support Ministers in policy and decision making. Such legislation would provide the country with a multi-disciplinary resource of engineering experience and wisdom to serve the leaders of the day and the nation in a technologically driven and highly competitive global society - something that cannot be provided by any other professional body.

SAAE has the mission to pursue, encourage and maintain excellence in all fields of engineering and related development for the benefit of the nation and the continent. Sustainable development is the biggest challenge of the 21st century. We will use our best human resources and the assistance of our international partner academies to meet the challenge.

Bingle Kruger
26 May 2004