Industry organisation the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (Saice) calls on industry bodies, the engineering fraternity and the private sector in South Africa to support efforts to relieve the humanitarian disaster in KwaZulu-Natal following widespread flooding.

“We, as South Africans, have a responsibility to do our best in helping to rebuild the affected parts of the province, as well as aiding our citizens. Saice has contributed to the Gift of the Givers Foundation, and we encourage those in the private sector to commit to helping those in need by supporting reputable and well-established aid and relief organisations,” says Saice president Professor Marianne Vanderschuren.

“We are aware of the impact of this disaster on the people of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as the Eastern Cape and Gauteng provinces. Many people have lost their loved ones and their homes, apart from the significant damage to critical infrastructure including bridges, roads and schools.

“The need is great and, as a nation, we need to come together, mobilise resources and showcase our compassion as South Africans,” she says.

Saice has the technical expertise and know-how to work with government and provide the necessary guidance to help rebuild the province.

“Saice is a significant role-player in the infrastructure development environment in South Africa. We have industry experts that are seasoned in technical and strategic competencies to help innovate and rebuild the province.

“However, we advocate that maintaining and rebuilding KwaZulu-Natal’s infrastructure must be done through collaborative partnerships, which should be underpinned by trust, good governance and, importantly, transparent procurement processes,” Vanderschuren emphasises.

Additionally, Saice members in these regions have also been impacted. Saice has two key branches located in Durban and Pietermaritzburg and it sympathises with members impacted in the region and across the country, she says.

The institution further supports the government’s decision to declare this crisis as a National State of Disaster.

“We agree with President Cyril Ramaphosa, who affirmed that this declaration was necessary in order for all spheres of government to coordinate and manage the disaster to enable the mobilisation of more resources, as well as the necessary technical expertise to enable relief, recovery and rehabilitation,” says Vanderschuren.