SAIMC


From the president's desk

March 2008 SAIMC

Everybody is talking about the South African power shortage. To be in vogue, here is my contribution.

Vivian MacFadyen
Vivian MacFadyen

There is an untapped natural and indestructible resource that is available countrywide. If harnessed, this force will almost eliminate household reliance on electricity for heating purposes. There is however, a challenge for engineers to capture this energy whilst active. It is elusive, and is only fully appreciated by the masses. It is the blast of hot air expelled from the mouths of those intent on self-advancement or empowerment, and individuals avoiding responsibility for their inaction. They conceal their ignorance and hide their incompetence by making illogical statements. At the same time, they score points with the masses by having the last word irrespective of legitimacy.

I have repeatedly highlighted the skills shortage (drain) in South Africa, and the power situation is purely a symptom of this loss. The next casualty will possibly be the petroleum supply; already there have been serious accidents in refineries. This will be even worse for the average person than the electrical power crises. Those few fortunate persons who have diesel generators to overcome the electricity shortage will have no diesel for their expensive alternatives.

We are now so deep into the mess that it will take many years to get ourselves out of it. If we do not do something urgently, the future of our offspring will be subsistence farming on barren land.

It is high time we relinquished the ties of ignorance and prejudice, so that we can recover from this dismal situation. Education and experiential training is the answer, but this will take 20 years to achieve. We need to bring to an end the evacuation of skilled persons and shrewdly use our remaining resources. We have many highly skilled individuals who are being blocked from participation in the recovery, we have reached a point where we need to start thinking…



Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

SAIMC: Johannesburg branch
SAIMC SAIMC
The Johannesburg Branch had the privilege of being hosted by Phoenix Contact for our technology event in May. Shamil Surbun, BU manager for Automation, presented a CPD-accredited session on ‘From Sensor to Cloud: How SPE and APL Are Transforming Industrial Connectivity’.

Read more...
From the office of the CEO: Power Hour goes national
SAIMC SAIMC
South Africa’s automation, control, mechatronics and computer engineering community is changing fast, and the SAIMC is changing with it. I am excited to announce a new national initiative that will reshape how we deliver technical knowledge, strengthen branch identity and bring our community together like never before.

Read more...
SAIMC: Zambia branch
SAIMC SAIMC
The SAIMC Zambia executive committee met recently, and confirmed several strategic updates aimed at strengthening governance, membership engagement and professional development activities.

Read more...
SAIMC: Durban branch
SAIMC SAIMC
Hendrik Spies, market application engineer at SICK Automation, presented at the SAIMC Durban branch May technology meeting.

Read more...
Where industry meets the fairway
SAIMC SAIMC
The SAIMC Durban Golf Day once again proved why it’s one of the highlights on the local industry calendar, bringing together good people, good golf, and just the right amount of competitive spirit under spectacular Durban skies.

Read more...
SAIMC’s May 2026 KS4I event to spotlight AI-driven industrial automation
SAIMC SAIMC
SAIMC’s May 2026 KS4I event will focus on practical and forward-looking approaches to AI-enabled automation and intelligent industrial connectivity.

Read more...
SAIMC: From the office of the COO
SAIMC SAIMC
We are failing young engineers - not just in classrooms, but as a society.

Read more...
SAIMC: Johannesburg branch
SAIMC SAIMC
Jenine Jansen van Vuuren from Comtest delivered a presentation at the SAIMC Johannesburg technology evening, focusing on electric vehicle charging stations and the key metrics that govern their functionality.

Read more...
SAIMC: Durban branch
SAIMC SAIMC
At the monthly meeting of the Durban branch of the SAIMC, Smunye Memela, project manager and switch gear specialist at Gubhuza 3 Trading presented on the subject ‘From sensors to insights: predictive maintenance in action’.

Read more...
SAIMC’s May 2026 KS4I event to spotlight AI-driven industrial automation
SAIMC
SAIMC’s May KS4I event will focus on practical and forward-looking approaches to AI-enabled automation and intelligent industrial connectivity.

Read more...









While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved