This podcast is brought to you by Ukwazi Mining - Bringing relevant mining, engineering and strategic consultancy services to a dynamic industry.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shannon de Ryhove.

Making headlines today:

On Monday, the Department of Human Settlements stated that shoddy construction work, and inferior workmanship on the part of contracted construction companies meant that "money has been wasted", as these houses had to be destroyed.

Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale noted that the department was informed that some 1 500 houses in the North West would have to be destroyed, and a similar number in the Eastern Cape, at Sweet Water, would also have to be destroyed.

The Minister further explained that some 300-million-rand was being spent on rectifying houses in the North West, and about 500-million-rand was spent rectifying improperly built homes in KwaZulu-Natal.

The Department will commission an audit into housing delivery, which will seek to address shoddy construction work, inferior workmanship and broken houses, as well as the continuous contracting of the same bad contractors.

The Department of Water Affairs has reported that an estimated four-million South African citizens are still without access to potable water. It also said that the threat of climate change could serve to worsen matters in future.

Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said that climate change would impact future availability and that government was, therefore, giving emphasis to both mitigation and adaptation strategies.

A key strategy related to ensuring that water resources were managed in a manner that enabled the provision of reliable and cost effective water services on a sustainable basis.

Ageing water infrastructure, and unauthorised connections would have to be dealt with, as would the prevailing shortage of skills at all three spheres of government.

Also making headlines:

Its the end of an era as the Volkswagen Citi Golf retires.
The DA calls for Jacob Maroga to resign as it issues details of a confidential Eskom skills report.
Tax advisory firm Deloitte welcomes the proposed overhaul of the Customs Act.
And, ArcelorMittal plays down the China steel output impact.

That's a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories please visit engineeringnews.co.za.