Civil Engineering December 2022 | Vol 30 No 11

SA I CE and profess i onal news T he evening’s 155 guests were guided by the entertaining André Frieslaar who served as MC. Guests eagerly participated in the fun centrepiece making challenge, where they were tasked with building their table centrepieces with building blocks. Special mentions go to the repre- sentatives of WBHO for their impressive crane, the Stellenbosch University crew for their winning sculpture, and Zutari’s team for somehow reimagining the Burj Kalifa in Lego. Guests enjoyed a three-course meal and a thought-provoking talk by guest speaker Prof. Mike Muller, whose key message is that SAICE holds a unique position in the engineering and construc- tion industry in that it is not aligned to any particular sector. SAICE can thus be objective and provide a platform for critical debate and a voice of reason. He further commented on the diversity of the audience, and that the industry has cer- tainly transitioned, with a strong youthful energy wanting to make an impact. 2022 SAICE President and long- serving branch member Prof. Marianne Vanderschuren presented the first branch award to the Western Cape Provincial Department of Transport for its vision and efforts in supporting the industry during Covid-19 and the associated lockdowns. Guests got to mingle and network be- fore dancing the rest of the evening away. We would like to thank all guests and companies in attendance for their continued support and for making the evening a great success.  SAICE Western Cape Branch celebrates at year-end function On 27 October SAICE WC held its end-of-year function at the Kelvin Grove Club, marking the branch’s first in-person dinner since 2019. The event was well attended by representatives from across the civil engineering spectrum, including contractors, consultants, clients, and academics. 62 December 2022  Civil Engineering