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ASSOCIATIONS
ASSOCIATIONS
Report back by
IOPSA NATEXEC
Committee Meeting
By Brendan Reynolds, IOPSA executive director
In its previous report the committee spoke of the
challenging political and economic climate in South
Africa. By year end it was able to report that since then
things have improved somewhat politically, but on the
economic front, times remain extremely challenging.
The construction industry is in the worst
state for decades and consumers remain
under extreme pressure. The last few
months have seen a big spike in the
numbers of Plumbers emigrating or
seeking to emigrate and we have had a
number of our members close shop.
It may be too early to tell but I certainly get the
sense that there is some recovery starting in the
construction industry. Several new large projects
have started and there is even some movement
on government projects. Hopefully these are the
first buds of spring after a very long and tough
winter. We will just have to wait and see. I, for
one, am optimistic that we have finally reached
a turning point and that better days are ahead.
Throughout these challenging times IOPSA has
managed to continue growing and performing
well. There can be no greater vote of confidence
from the market than that. I can only attribute
this success to the amazing IOPSA team. Both
staff and volunteers are dedicated to improving
our industry and their passion and hard work is
bearing fruit.
IOPSA will continue to focus its efforts in
ensuring the success of SA Watermark and will
actively enter the ‘standards developments’
space which has needed serious attention for
some time. For members, the focus will be on
delivering real value add services, finding unique
income opportunities and delivering meaningful
training. On the training front we will be focusing
heavily on Artisan Recognition of Prior Learning
(ARPL). All of this will be supported by a strong
marketing campaign aimed at informing
consumers about IOPSA and its members.
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
@plumbingonline
@plumbingonline
Financially IOPSA is still in a very strong position,
the newly appointed accounting firm, Knights
Accounting, has proved to be a huge asset to
IOPSA in our drive for transparency and strong
financial controls. Unfortunately, they have done
their work so well that we have identified several
reporting issues from previous financial years
which need to be corrected before the end
of this financial year end. These adjustments
will be painful, but they are necessary. From a
reporting point of view, the Business & Finance
Committee and I are extremely happy with the
new management accounts and the reporting
which accompanies it.
Transformation remains a cornerstone of the
IOPSA strategy and I am pleased to report that
we have made significant progress on this front.
The number of black Committee Members has
nearly doubled since my last report and we
now have two black regional chairmen. Several
meetings have been held in townships and
there are more planned. These have been very
successful and well received. Unfortunately, we
still have a long way to go and we have had
to take disciplinary action against a member
for racial social media posts. We will remain
vigilant and keep working towards meaningful
transformation.
Another major milestone has been the
establishment of the Limpopo Regional
Committee within IOPSA. Mpumalanga and North
West remain a challenge, we are holding regular
meetings in these areas but there are no signs
of committees being established yet. We will
continue to work hard on these areas.
I am pleased to report that IOPSA continues to
go from strength to strength and is well
positioned for the future. PA
@PlumbingAfricaOnline
January 2020 Volume 25 I Number 11