The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) inaugurated its 2015 President, Malcolm Pautz, at the SAICE Presidential Inauguration and Gala Dinner at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg last week.

Pautz is the youngest ever president since SAICE’s establishment in 1903.

The event was attended by various high-profile guests, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers’ representatives, Engineers Chidi Isuwah Snr and Ademola Olorunfemi, champions of the infrastructure industry, government officials, engineering clients from both the private and public sectors, as well as SAICE members from across the country.

In his address, Pautz challenged Generation Y engineers to be bold, to have courage, to never be afraid of taking initiative, or to be involved ― while judging themselves on self-integrity and accountability.

To the engineers stemming from the traditionalists and the baby boomer eras, the challenge is to listen to the young engineers, to guide and mentor them, and to identify future leaders who will have the task to make the National Development Plan, as well as the Millennium Development Goal, a reality.

Pautz concluded his poignant address by exercising some poetic license in adapting a phrase from Reverend Martin Luther King’s historical speech:

“I have a dream that one day

• all civil engineers will be judged not by their inheritance, but
• by their skill and competence, and by
• the value they create for society

You, the young engineer need to rise up and ensure that transformation is met

• on a balanced basis, and
• without hindering economic and social development within the confines of our resources

The full version of the Presidential address is available on SAICE’s website: www.saice.org.za