September / October 2014
INDUSTRY PEOPLE
24
EC Industrial & Business News
R638 million EC school infrastructure programme on track
Local dealership - a shining star Mahindra Motorland in East London was one of the brightest shining stars at Mahindra South Africa’s annual awards evening in Kempton Park recently. This dealership was not only the top seller in the Mahindra network with 225 units sold in 2013, but was also the winner of the prestigious Dealer of the Year award in the large dealer category. Pictured above with the other winners and Mahindra representatives is fourth from left, Steve Chandler, DP, Mahindra Motorland in East London
New MD for Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks SA Volvo Group Southern Africa has announced the appointment of a new MD for Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks SA. Christian Coolsaet, a Belgian national, will take up his new position with immediate effect, looking after the Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks brands in the region. Coolsaet was previously the Volvo Group’s director of Commercial Trucks in Central Europe.
Two new directors
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ontinental Tyre South Africa (CTSA), is pleased to announce the appointments of Fayruz Abrahams (top right) and Sivuyile Boqwana (bottom right) as Directors to the CTSA board as of August 2014. Abrahams will be serving in the capacity of Independent Non Executive Director and Boqwana as Executive Director. “We are very excited about this move. Both ladies bring a wealth of experience and dynamism to the board” said fellow Executive Director and MD of CTSA, Dieter Horni.
CDC board of directors
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oega Development Corporation welcomed Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Development, Tourism and Agriculture, Babalwa Lobishe, (top left) and KwaZulu-Natal based advocate Thandi Norman (bottom left) to the CDC Board of Directors
UD Trucks to appoint new MD
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he Board of UD Trucks Southern Africa has announced the resignation of the company’s managing director, Jacques Carelse. Rory Schulz (pictured), a well-respected and experienced stalwart at the company, has been appointed as acting managing director.
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he Coega Development Corporation (CDC), implementing agent for several DOE projects, have announced that it has completed sixty school infrastructure programmes across the Eastern Cape in just one year. “We currently sit at 82% of the projects done. We have a total of 73 school infrastructure upliftment projects valued at R638 million that need to be completed by the end of year,” said Zine Mtanda, CDC programme director for education and sports, recreation arts and culture. Sixty construction and refurbishment projects, including emergency schools, early childhood centres, technical workshops and the eradication of mud structures, have been completed in just one year, and have been handed over to The Department of Basic Education and the Eastern Cape Department of Education throughout the province. The school infrastructure upliftment programmes have been for communities in OR Tambo, Chris Hani and Amathole rural districts of the Eastern Cape.
The CDC estimates that in addition to new modern education facilities, around 1 575 jobs have been created for the communities where those schools reside. The latest school infrastructure improvement project was the R16 million Manqulo Junior School in Butterworth. The project encompassed the development of nine new classrooms, an early child development centre, soup kitchen and media centre, rainwater tanks, ablution facilities, security and stock fencing, and full grade electricity. “The remaining thirteen schools of the 73 projects will be completed and
handed over in December this year,” adds Mtanda. “Eradicating mud schools restores dignity to education and is transforming people’s lives for the better. Learners and educators have better access to improved environments for learning, teaching and growth,” added Mtanda. “The programme – are the outcome of a desire of both government and the CDC to bring positive transformation in the education sector for the Eastern Cape through decent schooling facilities to children in the province,” said Dr Ayanda Vilakazi, CDC head of marketing and communications “The programme aims to deliver adequate standard of schools to all children in the province and to ensure that the facilities are conducive for effective teaching and learning,” added Dr Vilakazi. “Schools play a critical role as a catalyst for a better life and the gateway in equipping society to improve its liveliEnquiry no: 69 hood.”
Employees give back to adopted school
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eneral Motors South Africa (GMSA) employees volunteered their time recently to ensure that learners at a disadvantaged Port Elizabeth school have a safer, cleaner learning environment. GMSA encourages staff to get involved in its corporate social investment projects, and this year adopted Tjaart van der Walt Primary School. The school accommodates more than 1 000 learners from the lower-income area of Algoa Park and nearby Missionvale, one of the poorest areas in the city. About half the pupils at the school are exempted from paying school fees, while the school has to employ four additional teachers and eight cleaners from its own funds. This puts a strain on the budget available for critical expenses such as much-needed repairs to fences that
ensure the safety of learners, deputy principal Margi Bigge said. GMSA came to their aid by erecting palisade fencing at the front of the school, and a group of 10 employee volunteers spent From Maxine Frieslaar, Levina Moorcroft, Zeeyana Dastager and Esterline Martin. a morning at the school – cleaning the library, planting flowers to beautify the school environactively contribute and give back to sociment, and handing out snacks to the ety. We encourage employee volunteerlearners. ism whereby staff can play an active role Ms Bigge said the school also had its in improving the lives of the less fortunate own feeding scheme that assisted 124 and the vulnerable in our community. learners daily, and gratefully received “Employees give freely of their time and the GMSA team’s donation of 288 meal have the opportunity to engage with our packs that feed six people each. community partners, while contributing to “As a responsible corporate citizen, GMSA’s standing as a caring organisaGMSA cares about the community and tion,” GMSA Corporate Communications environment in which we operate, and Manager, Gishma Johnson, said. Enquiry no: 70 we constantly seek ways in which we can
Homes and soup kitchen for Bay’s underprivileged communities
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everal shipping containers have been transformed into homes and a community kitchen facility for underprivileged communities in Nelson Mandela Bay established as part of Ford’s Global Week of Caring. In all, more than 13,000 volunteers from Ford operations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America contributed around 81,000 hours of expertise and labour to improve their communities during this period.
The projects in Nelson Mandela Bay were spearheaded by Basil Raman, Production Manager at the Ford Struandale Engine Plant, and unveiled by Jeff Nemeth, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa and government officials from the Department of Human Settlements. The metal shipping containers will provide much needed housing to several
households in the Vastrap informal settlement in Booysens Park, while the soup kitchen in Malabar has a capacity of serving 500 disadvantaged people a week. Staff (pictured) of the Ford Struandale Engine Plant were responsible for the conversion of the containers into community-uplifting assets with a purpose of addressing social inequalities. Enquiry no: 71
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