The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) calls on industry bodies, the engineering fraternity, and the private sector in South Africa to heed the call to support the humanitarian disaster in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) following the widespread flooding that impacted the province last week due to heavy rains.

Professor Marianne Vanderschuren, President of SAICE, explains: “We are aware of the impact of this disaster on the people of KZN, 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.”

“We have a responsibility to do our best in helping to rebuild the affected parts of the KZN 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,” she adds. 

Prof. Vanderschuren adds that SAICE members in these regions have also been impacted. SAICE has two key branches located in Durban and Pietermaritzburg. “We sympathise with members impacted in the region and across the country.”

SAICE further supports the government’s decision to declare this crisis as a ‘National State of Disaster’.  “We agree with the President, 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’.”

Prof. Vanderschuren indicates that 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 KZN’s infrastructure must be done through collaborative partnerships, which should be underpinned by trust, good governance, and importantly, transparent procurement processes,” Prof. Vanderschuren concludes.