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has been good, with many conversions from commercial buildings to residential areas taking place.
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“ We need to get the SABS back to full capacity and we need to see an improvement in the accreditation procedure. Many plumbers are untrained and the basics are not being done. The right materials are not being used and many guys are not meeting OHS levels or Jaswic standards. Everything needs to be approved and plumbers must have the right certifications,” he explains.
Benatar believes the industry needs more training workshops and factory visits. He says independent operators must be more transparent.“ We are concentrating more on water management and conservation in the Western Cape. It is all about saving water and treating it properly.
Components used must meet strict quality standards.
“ Infrastructure is a problem, as is the quality of water. Capetonians are restricted to using just 87 litres of water per day. The city’ s gyms are struggling. So, there is a lot of water collecting going on and experimentation happening. The public needs advice on how to buy water tanks,” he adds.
SCRAP BOOK“ The copper scrap issue remains close to my heart. If the government comes out with new, positive scrap guidelines, it will put them [ manufacturers ] in a better frame of mind. If we slow the export of copper scrap, it will give manufacturing members an opportunity to get their hands on quality scrap at reasonable prices. This would make them more competitive in the export market,” says Benatar.
He says many businesspeople are holding back on their investments now.“ The tighter the market is, the more the businesses fight for margin. Unless the economy strengthens, I do not think there will be much cooperation. There is a lot of competition in the market and I do not think that will stop in the short term.”
Uwe Putlitz of the Joint Building Contracts Committee( JBCC) says they have probably sold five or six per cent fewer contracts this year than last year.“ And last year we sold five or six per cent fewer than the year before. Compared to three years ago, we are probably 25 – 30 % worse off. Just because there are some snazzy buildings in Sandton does not mean the country is busy.
“ Radical transformation is destroying the construction industry. We will have a problem doing that sort of work, and we have a whole lot of roadbuilding to do but Sanral has no money. So, the construction industry is not in a good place.”
Fluctuations in the global copper price have caught many unawares.
“ There is an awful lot of work that the state should be doing, but the state is its own worst enemy. They choose incompetent contractors, do not pay, and so people go out of business.”
Major state projects going ahead include the additional runway at Cape Town International Airport and Sanral projects through the Transkei.“ Those projects alone are worth about R3-billion, not to mention the roadworks and all the other things,” he says.
“ Plumbing has changed considerably. New materials and technologies mean you do not have to be an artisan anymore. It has become easier to be a plumber, but many of the designs are not very good. People say they want to put a basin somewhere without knowing how they are going to get water to it or how they are going to drain it.
“ Working closer together starts at university level, where architects do not talk to engineers and engineers do not talk to the quantity surveyors. We must make an effort to work together as it is not second nature.“ The money all goes into the same pot, so why not share information? When things go wrong, it is a big problem. Next year we will run more training courses and get people to know how to use a contract document. People need to know how to use it correctly; how to use it as a management tool and how not to get into trouble.”
Consultant Howard Griffiths says there is work out there, but it is not enough.“ The situation stems from politics and the state of the economy. Nobody wants to talk to each other and they keep information close to their chests.
“ South Africa can take a leaf out of the American Plumbing Association’ s book, which actively spreads knowledge through various publications, design cinemas and so on.
“ Today, a six-month course can produce a qualified plumber— this needs serious thought. Several initiatives have also fallen apart and the industry is not unified,” he says. PA
www. plumbingafrica. co. za November 2017 Volume 23 I Number 9