SAQA COLLOQUIUM ON DECOLONISATION

Cyril Vuyani Gamede, Pr Eng

COUNCIL PRESIDENT, ECSA

Tuesday, 13 February 2018

1

THE ROLE OF ECSA

2

Every citizen has the right to choose their trade,

occupation or profession freely. The practice of

a trade, occupation or profession may be

regulated by law. -Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Section 22-

• South Africa chose to regulate the

Engineering Profession

• This gave rise to the Engineering Profession

Act (EPA, 46 of 2000)

• Registration is a tool by which ECSA regulates

the profession

HOW DO WE REGULATE

3

4

Quotation from Hendrik Verwoerd as the editor of Die Transvaler 1

October 1937 (Possible solution to the ‘Jewish ‘domination’ of the

economy of South Africa)

“Below are the possible ways in which the state can help

Afrikaners gain their necessary share of commerce and

industry. ..In the first place this expansion must be placed

at the disposal of the English and Afrikaans speaking

parts of the population, presently being disadvantaged

in these fields. Legislation must gradually but purposefully

ensure that each white section of the population should,

as far as practicable, enjoy a share of each of the major

occupations, according to its proportion of the white

population.

CRITICAL ISSUES SINCE THE 1800s

5

Quotation from Hendrik Verwoerd as the editor of Die Transvaler 1

October 1937 (Possible solution to the ‘Jewish ‘domination’ of the

economy of South Africa

“This is called balance distribution (ewewigtege

verspreiding), but it has also been called a ‘quota

system’. As Jews presently enjoy disproportionate share

of the wholesale and retail trade, such a balanced

distribution can be achieved only by refusing them

further trading licences until such a time as the other

main population groups, such as the English and the

Afrikaans speakers, have gained a proportion which

corresponds to their percentage of the white

population”.

CRITICAL ISSUES SINCE THE 1800s

CRITICAL ISSUES SINCE THE 1800s

6

Quotation from the Minister of Native Affairs, 7

June 1954

“The Bantu must be guided to serve his own community

in all respects. There is no place for him in the European

community above the level of certain forms of labour.

….For that reason, it is of no avail for him to receive a

training which has as its aim absorption in the European

community while he cannot and will not be absorbed

there”

7

Issues that have evolved since colonial supremacy in South

Africa in the engineering profession:

Period (1890 – 1968)

• Diamonds, Gold mines needed Infrastructure –

Engineers

• Debates and class formation of the Profession

• Creation of engineering institutions / societies

• Institutions debated rigorously

• Question: Registration of individual engineers

• Professional Engineers Act (Act 81 of 1968) passed

CRITICAL ISSUES SINCE THE 1800s

8

Issues that have evolved since colonial supremacy in

South Africa in the engineering profession:

Period (1968 – 1991)

• Implementation of the Act

• Creation of South African Council of Professional

Engineers

• First Council Meeting 1969

• BSc Engineering or equivalent as a base

• Registration: consulting engineers in private

practice

• Reservation of work was never clear

CRITICAL ISSUES SINCE THE 1800s

9

Issues that have evolved since colonial supremacy in

South Africa in the engineering profession:

Period (1991 – To date)

• Creation of the Engineering Council of South

Africa (ECSA) in 1991

• Engineering Professions Act (No. 46 of 2000)

• Creation of the Council for Built Environment

(CBE) in 2000

• Council for Built Environment Act (No. 43 of 2000)

• Alignment with the changes in the country

CRITICAL ISSUES SINCE THE 1800s

10

Registered

Persons

Professional

Engineer

Technologist

Certificated Engineer

Technician

Candidate

Engineer

Engineering Technologist

Certificated Engineer

Engineering Technician

Specified Category

Lifting Inspectors

Lifting machinery Inspectors

Medical Equipment Maintainers

Fire Protection System Inspectors

CATEGORIES OF REGISTRATION

THE ENGINEERING SKILLS PIPELINE

Engineering Council of

South Africa (ECSA)

SAKHIMFUNDO EDUCATION TRUST

In 2010 ECSA commissioned a research study to look into

improving throughput in the Engineering Bachelors degree

Research revealed that black students struggled to complete

studies ( 32% black students v/s 64% white students )

Summit was held in October 2012 by the Engineering

community and recommended interventions as follows:

Establishment of the talent pipeline and learner support

initiative

12

An immediate intervention to underfunded engineering

programs

Introduction of Flexible curriculum for first degree and diploma

Develop strategy to improve teaching and learning in

engineering

Sakhimfundo was established in response and taking into

consideration the National Development Plan(Water,

Electricity, Roads) and alignment to the Millennium

Development Goals 13

SAKHIMFUNDO EDUCATION TRUST

14

PROVINCIAL SATELLITE OFFICES

• Open 4 satellite offices by the end of

March 2018

• Launch offices in KwaZulu-Natal, Free

State and Western Cape.

• Eastern Cape Office launched in

November 2017

• Improve access to the services that

ECSA offers

THANK YOU!

15