Escalating unrest in communities over infrastructure issues such as the lack of water, sanitation, housing and roads is a serious indication of what people expect from government and those responsible for service delivery.

Research conducted by the Social Change Research Unit at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) indicates a sharp increase in service delivery protests. Professor Peter Alexander, research chair in social change at UJ, says authorities need to change the way they interact with communities and listen to them sympathetically, not bureaucratically. “The rising levels of protests are a warning that the problems of poor people need to be addressed. There is a ticking time bomb in South Africa.”

To address this and many of the issues facing engineering, including those raised in the 2014 SAICE presidential address by Stanford Mkhacane, the 2014 SAICE Civilution Congress will be held at Emperors Palace from 6 to 8 April 2014.

Mike Muller, commissioner in the National Planning Committee, visiting adjunct Professor at Wits University and fellow of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE), will address the Civilution Congress on ‘Building South Africa’s water security: Progress, prospects and priorities’.

More about Civiluton

Civilution is a new era for engineering professions, motivating engineers of all disciplines to conduct business differently. It aims to highlight the important role that engineers  with collaboration between communities and government  can play in bringing about transformation, diversity, leadership and evolution in our local and global society for its betterment and of the quality of life.

Civilution will direct engineers along the path of intellectual revolution where they have the power to impact communities and create awareness of the need for our pivotal engineering skills.