News & Press

Election of SAIMechE Office Bearers 2022-2024

Fri, 7 Oct 2022 09:30:00 GMT

The Council of SAIMechE is pleased to announce the election of its Office Bearers for the 2022-2024 Council session.

The Council congratulates its Office Bearers on their election and commits their full support during the session.

Ms Portia Moketla has been elected President of SAIMechE for the 2022-2024 Council session

Ms Moketla is a Professional Mechanical Engineer with extensive experience in maintenance and mechanical design. She is currently employed as a Senior Product Engineer specializing in underground Room and Pillar mining equipment.

She is registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) as a Professional Engineer (Pr. Eng) and holds a Government Certificate of Competency with the Department of Employment and Labour. She serves as a member of the ECSA Virtual Panel and the mechanical engineering workgroup.

Ms Moketla is passionate about knowledge transfer, mentorship and professional development for engineering professionals.

Ms Cillia Molomo-Mphephu has been elected Vice-President of SAIMechE for the 2022-2024 Council session

Ms Molomo-Mphephu is an engineering and management professional registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) as a Professional Engineering Technologist (Pr Tech Eng). In addition to her engineering qualifications, Ms Molomo-Mphephu also holds business qualifications. She is currently a director at Centre of Engineering Excellence Pty (Ltd), the company that she founded earlier in 2020. She previously held various other positions in the engineering industry within Armscor, City of Cape Town, Sasol, Department of Correctional Services and Denel.

She has more than 26 years of experience in the engineering profession and has built a wealth of experience, especially in the area of enterprise asset management. She has authored a number of publications on the subject of Physical Asset Management.

Mr Mashele has been elected Treasurer of SAIMechE for the 2022-2024 Council session

Mr Mashele obtained his B(Eng) Mechanical from the University of Pretoria. He currently holds the position of Engineering Manager. He assumed the role when the company was in business rescue; he resuscitated the dormant engineering department by resourcing it with a full staff complement and business turnaround strategies that yielded a 200% increase in turnover in just over a year. Mr Mashele, being an advocate for education and scarce skills, has undertaken various initiatives for this cause. He was instrumental in the hosting of numerous SAIMechE World of Engineering and Artisanship exhibitions in partnership with Sasol and other engineering companies.

He is the incumbent Mpumalanga Ambassador for an NGO called MADA (Moving Ahead Development Agency) which runs an annual Boys2Men programme that exposes kids, with absent fathers, to Engineering, Technology and IT. The programme is sponsored by the Department of Education in Gauteng, SAP and Institutions of higher learning such as TUT and UNISA. Mr Mashele also sits on the Judges Panel for the Southern Highveld Community Development Trust under the Peermont Group which awards 10 scholarships annually to deserving learners in any field of study.

Privyseal - New QR Code (Real-Time Certificate of Membership)

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 11:30:00 GMT

The Privyseal real-time delivery system now offers a QR Code. The QR Code, SAIMechE Certificate of Membership and linked PrivySeal are available to members without the need to register with Privyseal. As long as you are in good standing with SAIMechE, your QR Code, Certificate of Membership and PrivySeal will be available directly via unique URLs. A separate QR code is also displayed on both seal and certificate, making it easier to share.

Your PrivySeal, QR Code and Certificate are available via unique URLs on your SAIMechE website profile, under the Profile Home / My Profile menu, then go to the Bio tab. The URLs are shown in 4 fields in the personal information section: Privyseal; Membership certificate; Membership certificate PDF; QR Code.

Click here to find out more about PrivySeal.

Add PrivySeal to Your Email Footer: Visit your Credential Holder Portal for instructions on how to include your PrivySeal in your email signature.

Track Your Impact: After setting up your PrivySeal, log back into your Credential Holder Portal to keep tabs on the views your PrivySeals and certificates receive.

If your PrivySeal or certificate does not display properly with the current date and time, then email our Membership office, as the problem will most likely be with your membership standing.

The below images show where to find your Privyseal details on your member profile on the SAIMechE website (click on each image to enlarge):

SAIMechE elects first Female President

Mon, 1 Oct 2018 11:03:43 GMT

SAIMechE recently voted in their new National Council members for the 2018-2020 session at their AGM on 1 August 2018, electing Prof Debby Blaine as their new President. Debby is an Associate-Professor at Stellenbosch University, in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering. She has served on the Western Cape branch committee of SAIMechE since 2007. In 2011 she was elected as the first female Chair of the Western Cape SAIMechE committee, a position she held for the 2011-2013 period (during which she also became a first-time mom!). She was co-opted onto SAIMechE's Council in 2017 and assigned the Engineering Education portfolio.

She is also the current President of the South African Society for Engineering Education (SASEE). Debby is a Fellow of SAIMechE and is the first female President of SAIMechE's Council. She is passionate about creating a diverse, inclusive and engaging community for mechanical engineers in South Africa, and about drawing young engineers into this community.

Debby is joined in the National Executive Committee by Vice-President Hangwani Makwarela (CEO of Muteo Consulting in Polokwane). Mr Makwarela graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand, and a masters’ degree in Business Administration from the University of Wales. After a career in steel-making, FMCG, power generation, aluminium smelting and at water boards, he founded Muteo Consulting in 2004.

He has also served the profession for many years as member of the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) Professional Advisory Committee and a member and team leader of a number of ECSA accreditation visits to universities. Hangwani serves at the Department of Labour, as a Commissioner for the Government Certificate of Competency (GCC) examinations. He is a Fellow of the SAIMechE and has recently been nominated a Fellow of the South African Academy of Engineering. One of the key areas in which Hangwani has interest is the mentorship of young engineers, technologists and technicians, for contribution towards sustained social and economic development.

Pneudrive Challenge 2015 Prize-Giving!

Tue, 26 Jan 2016 10:06:35 GMT

The official PneuDrive Challenge prize giving took place on 21 January 2016 at the SMC Pneumatics offices in Midrand. The theme of the 2015 competition was to design a game changer for the food and beverage industry. The 2015's winning teams are as follows:

1st prize winners - Stellenbosch University
2nd prize winners - Wits Team
3rd prize winners & Innovation - Wits Team

As overall winners of the Pneudrive Challenge, the Stellenbosch University team – consisting of Reghardt Pretorius, Johannes Leuvennink, Madeli du Toit, Josua Blom and Jean Swart – have won a ten-day, all-expenses-paid trip to the European headquarters of lead sponsors, SEW-Eurodrive SA and SMC Pneumatics - South Africa.

The aim of the PneuDrive Challenge is to give the best mechanical, electronic and mechatronic engineering students a chance to use their talent to bring together engineering theory, the latest technology in drive engineering and pneumatics and business reality.

As sponsors of the competition, SEW-EURODRIVE and SMC Pneumatics (South Africa) recognise the importance of business in partnering with higher education institutions to help address the enormous pressures that they are under to prepare skilled engineering students for the labour market.

The Mechabrewers (winning team), undertook the project in collaboration with Stellenbrau Breweries to assist them in their production line by design a system that could potentially automate a specific process. Their design submission was the BottleBot, an automated robotic arm intended to move beverage bottles around in a production line. Visit their website for more information on this exciting design - http://mechabrewersvtwo.herokuapp.com/.

SAIMechE has endorsed the Pneudrive Challenge since its inception eight years ago and is proud of how this initiative has developed over the years.

Featured in the photo below (from left) is the winning team from Stellenbosch University: Jean Swart, Johannes Leuvenink, Madeli du Toit, Josua Blom and Reghardt Pretorius, seated with the SAIMechE CEO, Vaughan Rimbault.

ECSA calls for engineering investigators

Wed, 1 Apr 2015 14:05:42 GMT

ECSA calls for registered persons to come forward to be part of national database of engineering investigators, to be used for investigations as well as act as tribunal members in disciplinary hearings.

Closing date for responses: 9 April 2015.

View ECSA letter here.

ECSA warns of CPD scam

Mon, 30 Mar 2015 08:43:18 GMT

Dear ECSA-recognised Voluntary Association,

It has come to our attention that there is a company which is sending ECSA registered persons false information on Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training courses.

Kindly refer to our official communication for more information and please share with your registered members.

Engineering Council of South Africa.

SABS Technical Committee representation

Mon, 9 Feb 2015 11:07:02 GMT

We have received a request from the SABS for professionals to serve, in a voluntary capacity, on the various Technical Committees listed below (together with tentative 2015 meeting dates).

Members who are interested are invited to contact Mr Peter Cross (Team Leader Engineering & Built Environment Standards - SABS) at peter.cross@sabs.co.za or on (012) 428 6417.

TC: 004 Bearings - 29 Sept 2015;
TC 022 Construction of motor vehicles - 10 March;
TC 022/SC01 Braking - 13 August;
TC 022/SC05 Automotive After Market Centres - 4 June;
TC 022/SC08 Lighting & Optics - 16 April;
TC 031 Wheels, tyres rim dimensions - 24 Feb;
TC 044 Welding - 17 Feb;
TC 078 Traffic Law Enforcement equipment - 17 March;
TC 094 PPE / Eye / Head Protection - 25 Aug;
TC 094/SC 15 Respiratory protective devices - 26 March;
TC 094/SC 04 Fall arrests - 15 Oct;
TC 280 Petroleum Industry Equipm & systems - 04 Aug;
TC 1020 Lifting Equipm - 10 Sept;
TC 1035 Jacks - 31 March;
TC 1067 Cargo restraints - 3 Sept;
TC 1092 Motor Vehicles for use by persons with disabilities - 12 May.

Resignation of ECSA CEO and appointment of Acting CEO

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:06:55 GMT

Statement received from ECSA, 14 June 2013:

'The Chief Executive Officer of the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), Dr Oswald "Ossie” Franks Pr Eng has resigned, after four years at the helm of ECSA, to take up a senior academic appointment.

Mr Edgar Sabela has been appointed acting CEO, with effect from 01 July 2013. Mr Edgar Sabela is the current Executive: Strategic Services for the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).

In a statement earlier today ECSA President, Mr Cyril Gamede Pr Eng, said, "The ECSA Council wishes Dr Franks every success in his future endeavours and sincerely thanks him for his outstanding contribution to ECSA and the engineering profession.” '

For more information, please contact ECSA's Communications Department.

Meet the new Min of Public Works

Wed, 2 Nov 2011 09:42:27 GMT

Thembelani Thulas Nxesi

South African Minister of Public works (24 October 2011 - present)

Thembelani Nxesi is the South African Minister of Public works. He has also served as the Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform of the Republic of South Africa. Prior to this Nxesi was a teacher at Ikusasa Senior Secondary School from 1985 until 1990.

Read more ...

Courtesy of www.whoswhosa.co.za

Click here to see the Minister's profile on the Dept. of Public Works website