https://www.miningweekly.com

New Cesa CEO aims to strengthen measures to counter corruption

26th July 2013

By: Chanel de Bruyn

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

  

Font size: - +

As the new CEO of Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa), Lefadi Makibinyane has made it his primary focus to ensure that the consulting engineering sector delivers high-quality service and that there is never doubt about the quality of work delivered by Cesa members.

He praised his predecessor, Graham Pirie, who announced his retirement last month, for the work he had done over the past 17 years in building the organisation to what it is today and for striving to ensure the ethical behaviour and integrity of its members.

Makibinyane planned to strengthen those measures that had already been put in place.

He stressed the importance of consulting engineers engaging in ethical behaviour and conduct.

He stated that South Africans were up in arms about corruption and emphasised that it was important for Cesa’s members to understand that ethical and proper conduct was needed at all times, as “we are in service for others”, he told Engineering News.

“[We have to ensure that] the infrastructure we build is built with the integrity it deserves and that it can last and withstand the test of time. Government spends a lot of money on infrastructure and it’s time to show the value of that type of infrastructure.”

He noted that while the consulting engineering sector was not directly involved in the collusive tendering practices that, last month, resulted in the Competition Commission fining 15 major construction firms a collective R1.46-billion, the sector was indirectly implicated.

“This shows that whatever efforts are there, need to be strengthened. We cannot allow this type of collusion and [unbecoming] behaviour to continue. We have to ensure, one way or another, that we intensify talk [around ethical behaviour] and that we walk the talk through our members.

“Cesa-certified consulting engineering firms must be looked at favourably. We are making an effort to ensure that the service we offer is beyond reproach,” Makibinyane stated.

He pointed out that Cesa already had measures in place to punish members should they be involved in corruption or collusive practices.

Further, the organisation earlier this month also launched an anticorruption hotline, in collaboration with fraud specialist Moore Stephens South Africa Forensic Services division, to enable its members and members of the public to report suspected fraud, corruption and maladministration related to the awarding of tenders or contracts in the construction sector.

Other Goals
Meanwhile, Makibinyane, who is the first black CEO of Cesa, will also aim to promote the benefits of engineers and consulting engineers seeking professional registration.

“Everyone must aspire to register as a professional engineer. If everybody practising is a professional engineer, then this country will really be going somewhere,” he said.

He planned to work closely with his colleagues at the Engineering Council of South Africa to promote the concept and benefits of registering as a professional engineer or technician.

Further, Makibinyane was also keen to ensure that the voice of local consulting engineers was heard in the global arena, stating that Cesa, which is a member of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (Fidic), would “make our input felt in the global arena”.

Background
Makibinyane, who was raised on a farm in the Free State, says he has always been an ambitious person and that this has helped him develop into the engineer and business- person he is today.

While he initially wanted to become a doctor, he later found himself drawn to a career in the engineering sector – specifically, the chemical engineering sector.

After finishing matric, he secured a scholarship to study at Teesside University, in the UK, where he completed a BEng (Hons) in chemical engineering in 1991.

Thereafter, he was recruited by Anglo American to work as an engineer at Anglo Coal’s New Vaal colliery.

Over the next two decades, he worked at the Engen refinery, in Durban, at Sasol Secunda, Nampak, South African Breweries, the Industrial Development Corporation and Fieldstone Africa, besides others.

Between early 2009 and May 2010, he managed his own consulting engineering firm, Maqhalwe Technical & Financial Services, before being appointed as the head of services infrastructure at the City of Tshwane. He held this position until earlier this year.

Makibinyane is a chartered engineer and also holds an MBL from the University of South Africa Graduate School of Business Leadership.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION