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All photos by © Eamonn Ryan for CLA
CESA Presidential meeting : Make a difference by collaborating for change
Edited by Eamonn Ryan
Olu Soluade , president of the Johannesburg chapter of ASHRAE , as well as of the Consulting Engineers South Africa ( CESA ) addressed the media on 2 February at the Radisson Blu hotel in Sandton , Gauteng . While he was speaking on behalf of CESA on this occasion , his message describing the organisation ’ s theme and focus for the year ahead is as appropriate to engineers in the HVAC & R sector .
Olu Soluade addressing the CESA Presidential media event .
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Our 2022 theme was ‘ A Call to Service ’. During this period , we called on our members and industry stakeholders to serve and work together as a team with a common goal and focus . The four key areas emphasised for us to be of service were :
• Availability
• Willingness
• Sacrifice
• Vision
“ In this new year , we are delving deeper into actualising this call to service by collaborating for change ensuring that we work effectively towards that common goal .
“ Member companies are integral to the engineering that is incorporated into these buildings , making it possible for us and our industry partners to showcase how as an industry we innovate through collaboration ,” Soluade said . He quoted an excerpt from a recently released World Economic Forum ’ s
Global Risks Report 2023 that explores some of the most severe risks we may face over the next decade : “ With a crunch in public-sector funding and competing security concerns , our capacity to absorb the next global shock is shrinking . Over the next 10 years , fewer countries will have the fiscal headroom to invest in future growth , ‘ green ’ technologies , education , care and health systems . The slow decay of public infrastructure and services in both developing and advanced markets may be relatively subtle but accumulating impacts will be highly corrosive to the strength of human capital and development — a critical mitigant to other global risks faced .
“ President Cyril Ramaphosa , speaking at the recent ANC Conference said the most important priorities were tackling the energy crisis to end load shedding , improving the delivery of services , and combating crime and corruption . Another area of focus for him was local government , especially poor service delivery seen at this level . He said one of the solutions was for the ANC to continue with its aim of professionalising the public service ,” said Soluade .
“ Our organisation wholeheartedly supports governments focus on professionalising the state as well as the private sector to raise competency levels to be able to realise the progress that is required .”
ASHRAE , like other industry organisations has a mandate to lobby for positive change within the regulatory environment to enable its members better serve society .
ENGINEERING PROFESSION “ When it comes to the engineering profession as part of our efforts in making a difference towards professionalising the state , CESA was part of the task team appointed by the minister of Public Service and Administration to develop the Framework for the Professionalising of the State , released by the President in 2022
16 www . coldlinkafrica . co . za COLD LINK AFRICA • March / April 2023