To address the uncertain state of infrastructure development by the engineering sector, the South African Institute of Civil Engineering (Saice) will host a Civilution Congress from April 6 to 8 at Emperors Palace, in Gauteng, where different stakeholders can deliberate on possible solutions that can positively impact on the industry.

Saice marketing and advertising assistant Willandri Louw says civilution is a concept that heralds in a new era for engineering professionals, motivating engineers of all disciplines to conduct business differently. It will also set the scene where engineers play the role of history makers bringing about transformation, diversity, leadership and evolution in the local and global societies and the improvement of the quality of life through collaboration between communities and government.

“Civilution aims to highlight the important role engineers can play in this sphere. Engineers are innovators and through inno-vation, economic competitiveness arises. Civilution will direct engineers along this path of intellectual revolution where we have the power to impact on communities and create awareness of the need for our pivotal engi-neering skills at home and in Africa,” she adds.

Saice formed the Civilution Forum in October 2012, which includes various organisa- tions, such as Consulting Engineers South Africa, the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers, the South African Road Federation, the Institute of Municipal Engineering of South Africa, the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction and the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contracts.

Louw mentions that the forum meets every third month to deliberate on the state of the industry and try to come up with ways of resolving the issues that have been identified. The forum has identified seven key focus areas and each organisation that forms part of the forum chooses one key focus area and formulates a plan to provide solutions for the challenge.

The focus areas are technical capacity and the retention of professionals in the public sector; enhancing the quality of graduates in the sector; how best to deal with irregularities in the engineering and allied industries in the private sector; the participation of industries in the National Development Plan and all other governmental initiatives that aim to improve the industry; promoting technical leadership in the industry; creating awareness in government on how engineering professionals can assist the industry; and providing career guidance at schools to ensure a new breed of engineers for the future.

Saice notes that the aim of the Civilution Congress is to get members of the forum and all other stakeholders to engage with government and public- and private-sector officials on these key focus areas.

Keynote speakers, such as Minister in the Presidency: National Planning Commission Trevor Manuel, public prosecutor Thuli Madonsela, South African National Roads Agency CEO Nazir Alli and former COO in The Presidency of South Africa Trevor Fowler, will give talks and engage industry on ways in which it could resolve current infrastructure development issues.

Also, the congress will create a platform where these keynote speakers can familiartise them-sevles with the concerns of the industry through the organisations that form part of the forum.

“In this way, the forum hopes to provide solutions that will create positive alliances between government and the private and public sectors, as well as parastatals, to improve the current state of civil society.

“Engineering professionals are encouraged to attend the congress and participate actively in the deliberations so that we can advocate positive, workable and value-adding interven-tions that are born of the collective wisdom of experienced, knowledgeable and unbiased professionals,” concludes Louw.