Civil Engineering June 2021 | Vol 29 No 5

54 June 2021 Civil Engineering Le t ter to the ed i tor I n her Letter From the Editor in the May 2021 issue of Civil Engineering (Vol 29, No. 4), the editor Danielle Petterson points out the dire consequences to the South African economy of ineffective port operations. She quotes President Cyril Ramaphosa as saying that “we are steadily improving the efficiency of our ports and railways”, and that there are many plans in the pipeline to achieve this. One of the planned projects mentioned is a logistics hub at Cato Ridge in KwaZulu-Natal. It needs to be pointed out, however, that this proposal has been on the table for a decade or so without any noticeable attention being given to the proposal. It is interesting to note that the front- page headline of The Mercury on 21 May 2021 stated that Durban Harbour has been ranked in a World Bank report as among the bottom three of 351 container handling ports in the world . To me this is an entirely expected finding. As long ago as 1999, the report of a study into the South African transport system, termed ‘Moving South Africa’ and initiated by the then Minister of Transport Mac Maharaj, commented very unfavourably on the condition and efficient operation of the Durban Port and identified that, of the four primary inter- related freight transport system issues in South Africa, “general cargo import and export is the area requiring most atten- tion”. The study also proposed measures to improve the situation. What was the reaction of Portnet/ Transnet? Rather than accepting and working on the recommendations of a world standard transport analysis, they embarked on a pie in the sky and very costly proposal for a new Durban “dug- out” harbour. This has since apparently been abandoned, and most definitely discredited by many experts in the sector. Does this sound familiar? The Eskom experience rings in my ears. When will our government ever learn how to rectify major problems in our society in a step-by-step rational and effective approach using competent people, instead of resorting to grandiose projects? There was a saying by one of the Greek philosophers aeons ago that, “those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.” Sincerely, MalcolmMitchell Pr Eng mally2@vodamail.co.za Chickens coming home to roost? T his initiative falls under the Road Pavement Forum (RPF), a forum for sharing and debating road-related matters relevant to the South African roads industry. The forum was established in August 2000 and aims to provide a perspective of overarching strategic issues as it affects pavement engineering. The RPF makes provision for wider representation and participation from the broader roads industry, particularly urban and provincial authorities, tertiary institu- tions, and contractors. It also allows for broader regional representation. South Africa can play an important facilitating role as a catalyst for technology transfer in the southern African region, and the RPF could become a vital part of this process. “SAICE’s collaboration under the RPF is a natural extension of our strategy towards knowledge sharing and education in our industry. Our SAICE Academy will continue with this association, bringing everyone together in the interests of the professional agenda,” comments SAICE CEO, Vishaal Lutchman. SAICE’s partnership with SARF is fit- ting, as SARF is dedicated to promoting the road industry in South Africa through the dissemination of information, the promo- tion of sound policies, and education and training. “With this focus on education, we look forward to wider industry engagement on topical issues,” says Lutchman. Aligned with this, the RPF hosted an insightful webinar in May this year where it addressed pressing challenges facing the sector including pavement design and construction, road funding, and artificial intelligence in road maintenance. Thanks to the partnership, SAICE members attended the webinar at no cost and are encouraged to share interesting topics and projects for discussion at future RPF events. Through its conferences and ini- tiatives, the RPF aims to promote best practice, establish task groups with specific national objectives, and address technology development in the industry and the adoption thereof. It aims to be a platform that encourages industry partici- pation, discussion, and sharing of advice, where theory meets practice.  SAICE partners to promote SA roads industry The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) has partnered with the South African Road Federation (SARF) and various other prominent transportation industry role players to encourage knowledge sharing and promotion relating to South Africa’s road industry.