Wits University Civil Engineering '75 Reunion Book

WitsUniversity

CivilEngineeringClassof75

MemoriesandPersonalRecollections

WitsUniversity

CivilEngineeringClassof75

MemoriesandPersonalRecollections

Materialprovidedbytheclassmembersandcompiledandedited by

JohnSullivan&ErrolKerst

September2025

1.PrefacebyProfYunusBallim

11.Appendices:

12.Photographs

1.Preface

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

(John3:8-KingJamesBible)

In its essence, the personal narratives in this book that have gathered in one place to reflect onwhatitmeanstobeaWITSgraduate.Theexperiencesarethoseofagroupofmen(therewereno women in the civil engineering class of 1975) who, four years earlier (perhaps longer for some), happenedtodecidetostudycivilengineeringatWITSuniversity.

The streams converge in Hillman Building on the Braamfontein campus, they form friendships, struggle together with complex concepts, support each other’s learning and become acculturatedintothewaysofreasoninginthedisciplineofcivilengineering.

Through the habit and manner of the academics who teach them, through their sporting activities, their social engagements and their debatesat a university that is ambitious about its place intheworldofideas,theyalsoimbibethespiritofWITS.

TheyaddthisdistinctiveWITSspirittothevaluesthatguidetheirdecisionsintheirworking lives. They bring intellectual effort to changing the ways in which society functions, they lead in challenging dogma and they shine new light on old and persistent problems in society, they are cosmopolitan in their opinions and unceasing in their learning – formal and informal – and they harnessfinemindswithwarmheartsintryingtomakeamorehumaneworldforthosewhohaveyet tobeborn.

Likethe anastomosing river,theindividualstreamsagainconverge50yearslater,toeachadd the story of their journeys and to wondrously stare into their cupped hands and shout to their alma mater:“LookwhatIfound!”

This collection of thoughts and experiences from the class of 1975 will stand as a guide and inspiration to future students and graduates in civil engineering at WITS. Coming generations of emerging civil engineers who read these stories will find reason to shift the limits of possibility in theirminds.

Thestoriespointtothelightontheothersideof theforest by whichfuture graduates canset theircompasses,evenastheycharttheirownpersonaljourneysintheworldofwork.Withthisbook, the class of ’75 present a gift to their alma mater – and the School of Civil & Environmental EngineeringatWITSismostgrateful.

YunusBallim ProfessorEmeritus

SchoolofCivil&EnvironmentalEngineering UniversityoftheWitwatersrand,Johannesburg 2025

2.Introduction

It is indeed an honour to write this short introduction for ourbook. Ihavebeen privileged to haveviewedalltheshortbiographiessubmittedforinclusioninthepublication. It is really amazing to see what we have all got up to, I have briefly summarised the information:

Firstly, consider where we have all landed up in the world. Many of the group are still in South Africa, but others live and work in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand,SwitzerlandandZimbabwe.Asagroupsomehaveevenspentyearsworkingin Africaand livingandworkinginRussiaandTaipei/HongKong.

Secondly, we have worked in many of the traditional environments such as consulting engineering,constructionandstatedepartmentsbothlocallyandabroad.Thereare,ofcourse,several who have worked in other fields ranging from banking, property management / development, IT or businessconsultingorevenowningrestaurants,coffeeshopsorothertourismrelatedbusinesses.One ofusevenimportedgraniteslabsintoCanadaandanothermakescheese.

Thirdly, a number of us went back and studied further degrees, such as MSc's, Graduate Diplomas and MBA/L's. No one appears to have gone the PhD route, so we are all still ‘Misters’. I am purposely not giving much detail in this short introduction and thus encourage you to read the following pages to see what a diverse bunch we are in terms of what we do, where we live, our familiesandothercommunityandsportingactivities.

When we started out in the early 70s, we had a common purpose to complete assignments, pass exams and obtain the degree BSc Civil Engineering from the world-class institution known as the University of the Witwatersrand. I would like to believe that not one of us really had any idea wherewewouldendup50yearsdowntheline.

Fourthly,wehavemanagedtocontactfortyoftheclassofsixty.Sadlyatleast10ofushave passedonand10arenotcontactableortraceable.Thirty-fivehavecontributedtothecontentsofthis BOOK.

Ithasindeedbeenanhonourandaprivilegetocoordinatethegroupthathasputtogetherthis momentousoccasion-the50th reunionoftheWITSCivilEngineeringClassof1975.

Enjoyreading.

ErrolKerstPrEng 21st July2025

3.WitsUniversity, HistoryandAcademicProfile1

WitsUniversityissituatedin Johannesburg,SouthAfrica-avibrant,leading commercialcityontheAfricancontinent.Thehistory ofWitsislinkedwithmining,academicexcellence,and withpoliticalandcivicactivism.

TheoriginsofWitsUniversitylieintheSouth AfricanSchoolofMines,whichwasestablishedin Kimberleyin1896andtransferredtoJohannesburgas theTransvaalTechnicalInstitutein1904,becomingthe TransvaalUniversityCollegein1906andrenamedthe SouthAfricanSchoolofMinesandTechnologyfour yearslater.

OtherdepartmentswereaddedasJohannesburg grewandin1920thenamewaschangedtothe UniversityCollege,Johannesburg.Fulluniversitystatus wasgrantedin1922,incorporatingtheCollegeastheUniversityoftheWitwatersrand,witheffect1March.

SevenmonthslatertheinaugurationoftheUniversitywasdulycelebrated.PrinceArthurof Connaught,Governor-GeneraloftheUnionofSouthAfrica,becametheUniversity'sfirstChancellor,and ProfessorJanH.HofmeyritsfirstPrincipal.BuildingbeganatMilnerParkonasitedonatedtothe UniversitybytheJohannesburgmunicipality.

IntheBeginning

In1923,theUniversitygraduallyvacateditspremisesinEloffStreettomovetothefirstcompleted teachingbuildingsatMilnerPark(theBotanyandZoologyblock-housingthedepartmentsofGeology, Botany,ZoologyandAppliedMathematics).TheUniversityhad,atthatstage,6faculties(Arts,Science, Medicine,Engineering,LawandCommerce),37departments,73membersofacademicstaffandlittlemore than1,000students.In1925thePrinceofWalesofficiallyopenedtheCentralBlock.

Duringtheperiodbetweenthetwoworldwarsseverefinancialrestrictionswereimposeduponthe University.Nevertheless,studentnumberswerequiteimpressive-in1939therewere2,544students enrolled;thatgrewto3,100in1945.

Thesuddenincreasein studentenrolmentaftertheSecond WorldWarledtoaccommodation problems,whichweretemporarily resolvedbytheconstructionof woodandgalvanised-ironhutments inthecentreofthecampus.These hutsremainedinuseuntil1972.

Theperiodbetween1947 andthe1980swasmarkedby considerablegrowth-student numbersincreasedrapidlyto6,275 in1963,10,600in1975and16,400 by1985.In1951theUniversity awardedits10,433rdqualification, inMay1981its50,000thandby 1988its73,411th.

1 Items accessed from the University web page on 13 July 2025 https://www.wits.ac.za/about-wits/history-and-heritage/

Theacquisitionofadditionalpropertyinadjacentareasbecameimperative.Themedicallibraryand theadministrativeofficesoftheFacultyofMedicinemovedtoanewbuildinginEsselenStreet,Hillbrow during1964.TheGraduateSchoolofBusinesswasestablishedinParktownin1968.

In1969theErnestOppenheimerResidencewasformallyopenedinParktown.Savernake,the officialresidenceoftheVice-Chancellor,alsolocatedinParktown,wasmadeavailabletotheUniversityin 1969.InthesameyeartheclinicaldepartmentsinthenewMedicalSchoolwereopened.However,the MedicalSchoolmovedpremisesagainandisnowsituatedinYorkStreet,Parktown-thecomplexwas openedon30August1982.ExpansionintoBraamfonteinalsotookplace.In1976Lawson'sCorner, renamedUniversityCorner,wasacquired.

SenateHouse,theUniversity'smainadministrativebuilding,wasoccupiedin1977.TheWedge,a buildingformerlyownedbytheNationalInstituteofMetallurgy,wastakenoverbytheUniversityin1979. TheMilnerParkshowgroundswereacquiredin1984fromtheWitwatersrandAgriculturalSocietyand renamedWestCampus.Today,thecampusesaresome400hectaresinextent.In1989,theChamberof MinesBuildingfortheFacultyofEngineeringontheWestCampuswasopened,andthebrick-pavedAMIC deckwasbuiltacrosstheM1 motorwaytolinktheEastand Westcampuses.

TheLiberalTradition

TheUniversity'sinterests havenotbeenconfinedto developmentandexpansionat MilnerParkandadjacentareas.In the1960stheUniversityacquired theSterkfonteinfarmfromthe Stegmannfamily,withitsworldfamouslimestonecaves,richin archaeologicalmaterial.

In1968theneighbouringfarm, Swartkrans,alsoasourceof archaeologicalmaterial,was purchased.Inthesameyear,the Universityacquiredexcavation rightsincavesofarchaeological andpalaeontologicalimportance atMakapansgatintheareanow knownastheLimpopoProvince.

Fromtheoutset,Witswasfoundedasanopenuniversitywithapolicyofnon-discrimination-on racialoranyothergrounds.Thiscommitmentfaceditsultimatetestwhentheapartheid-governmentpassed theExtensionoftheUniversityEducationActin1959,therebyenforcinguniversityapartheid.TheWits communityprotestedstronglyandcontinuedtomaintainafirm,consistentandvigorousstandagainst apartheid,notonlyineducation,butinallitsmanifestations.Theseprotestsweresustainedasmoreand morecivillibertieswerewithdrawnandpeacefuloppositiontoapartheidwassuppressed.Theconsequences fortheUniversityweresevere-banning,deportationanddetentionofstaffandstudents,aswellasinvasions ofthecampusbyriotpolicetodisruptpeacefulprotestmeetings.

Withthedismantlingofapartheidandtheelectionofademocraticgovernment,theroleofWitsasa resourcebecameincreasinglyimportant:staffmembersandresearchersareapproachedonadailybasisby themedia,commerceandindustrytogivetheirexpertknowledgeandopiniononawidevarietyoftopics.

Overtheyears,theUniversityoftheWitwatersrandbecameinternationallyrecognisedforacademic excellenceandextensiveresearchactivities.DuringtheSecondWorldWarmembersoftheUniversitystaff tookanactivepartintheoriginaldevelopmentandconstructionofradar.WitswasthefirstSouthAfrican universitytohaveanuclearaccelerator,tohaveacomputer,tostudybuildingmaterialsandearlyAfrikaans, toproduceasystematicclimatologicalatlasofSouthernAfricaandtoachieveasuccessfulgraftofplastic cornea

Thecountry'sfirstdentalhospitalandschoolwasestablishedbytheUniversity.Itwasalsoalocal firstinthefieldofphysio-andoccupationaltherapyandthefirstSouthAfricaninstitutiontoopenaclinic

forthetreatmentofspeechdefects.ThefirstbloodtransfusionserviceintheUnionofSouthAfricawas startedbyWitsmedicalstudents;theMedicalSchoolundertookthefirstclinicalsurveyofchildbirthin Africantribalconditions.TheUniversity'sscholarshavealsogreatlyadvancedthetheoryofhumanorigin andevolution.Andtherearemanymoresuchexamples.

ContinuedGrowth

Today, with five faculties (Commerce, Law and Management; Engineering and the Built Environment;HealthSciences;Humanities;Science)and33schools,Witsoffersapproximately3,400courses to41,000students.Overathirdofthestudentbodycomprisespostgraduatestudents.Libraryfacilitiesconsist of two central libraries and 12 branch libraries with students having access to over 1,5 million books. Approximately5,000studentsareaccommodatedinanumberofresidencesandstudentvillages.Thereare42 sport clubs and many cultural opportunities in the form of over 60 student societies, the Wits Theatre, art galleries, concert hall and 7museums as well asthe Chris Seabrooke Music Hall which was opened in 2022 aspartoftheCentenaryCelebrations.

RenamingofPlacesandSpaces

2023RenamingoftheChamberofMinesBuildingtotheAfricanRainbowMinerals(ARM)Building

The partnership between ARM and Wits University will see the current Chamber of Mines Building ontheBraamfonteinWestCampusfacingtheM1highwaybeingrenamedtheWitsAfricanRainbowMinerals (ARM)Building.TheWitsAfricanRainbowMinerals(ARM)Buildingisacentralandcrucialcomponentof theUniversityoftheWitwatersrand'sacademicandresearchinfrastructure.Thisbuildingwasopenedin1989 withthefourthquadrantcompletedin2012.IthousestheFacultyofEngineeringandtheBuiltEnvironment’s administration, the School of Mining Engineering and the School of Electrical and Information Engineering. The buildingisalso hometo themultidisciplinaryWits Mining Institute,a DigiMineandtwo otherresearch entities.

2023UniversityCornerrenamedafterillustriouswriterEs'kiaMphahlele

Wits University renamed University Corner after renowned writer and activist Es'kia Mphahlele as partofitscontinuingtransformationplan.TherenamingofthepopularbuildingwhichhousestheWitsCentre for Journalism, the Wits Centre for Diversity Studies and the Wits Art Museum to name a few, is a fitting tributetoMphahlele,thefirstblackFullProfessoratWits.

2016SenateHouserenamedtoSolomonMahlanguHouse.

TherenamingofthespaceisincommemorationofstrugglestalwartSolomonMahlangu.

2017CentralBlockrenamedtoRobertSobukweBlock.

The renaming commemorated Robert Sobukwe’s service to the University and his contribution to fighting apartheid. Sobukwe, an intellectual of Pan-Africanism, founder and first president of the Pan AfricanistCongress,wascelebratedforhisroleininitiatingandleadingtheanti-passlawprotestsof21March 1960.

2017 TheMathematical Sciences Buildinghas been renamed in honour ofDr Thamsanqa Wilkinson "Wilkie"Kambule.

DrKambuleiswidelyacknowledgedasaninspirationalteacherandleaderwhofoughtforhigh-quality black education in apartheid South Africa. He was a leading mathematics educator who joined Wits in 1978 asaSeniorTutorinthethenDepartmentofMathematics,servingasarole-modelforaboutadecade.Hewas elected to the Council of the University in 1989 and awarded an honorary doctorate from Wits in 1997. In 2002, Dr Kambulereceived theOrder of the Baobabin Gold forhis exceptionalcontributiontomathematics education,humandevelopmentandcommunityservice.Thiswasfollowedbyanhonorarydoctoratefromthe UniversityofPretoriaandhonorarymembershipoftheActuarialSocietyofSouthAfrica.

EngineeringSpringBreakfast

EngineeringstudentsgatherearlyinthemorningonthefirstdayofSeptembereachyearandprepare breakfast to celebrate the arrival of spring. While they are meant to wear pyjamas, many students nowadays justdressoutrageously.

KnockStreak

NotcondonedbytheUniversity,thisrisqué́ traditionofKnockandoResidencestudentsrunningnaked throughParktowntovisitthewomen’sresidencesafterimbibing‘CourageJuice’hasenduredfordecades.

SuperstitionoftheJacarandas

SpringinJozibringswithittheblossomingofthebeautifulJacarandaflowers.Witsiesbelievethatif one of the purple flowers falls on your head, and youhaven’t startedstudyingfor your year-end exams,then it’sprobablytoolateandyou’redoomedtofailure.

SkiffyskofbaasDay(Miners’Day)

Mining Engineering students don their underground mining gear for Skiffyskofbaas Day in July/August each year and traipse around campus in a mining- related rendition of ‘trick or treat’. ‘Skiffy’ translatesloosely tomenialworker (‘skivvy’), while ‘skofbaas’ refers to a shift boss. After the festivities the students down a pint at Ore House on West Campus. Nowadays Skiffyskofbaas Day is known as the more politicallycorrect‘Miners’Day’.

PillowFight

Inwhat originatedasa fundraiser to beata Guinness World Recordforthenumber of participants in apillowfight,WitsiesnowgatherontheLibraryLawnseverySeptember,armedwithpillowstopummeleach otherinariotousexplosionoffeathers,fabricandfoam.

Studentdress-code

The standard ‘uniform’ for students at Wits University today is jeans and a T-shirt, but just 40 years agotheUniversityhadstrictrulesaboutacceptabledressonitsgrounds.

MrandMissWits

The Mr and Miss Wits beauty pageant used to take place annually in the Great Hall with a panel of celebrity judges. During their reign, Mr and Miss Wits were required to do charity work and to encourage studentstodothesame.

WitsRag

Formanydecades,WitsstudentsheldanannualRag(RememberandGive)Paradeafteranintensive six-weekcharityfundraisingcampaign.Aftermanyfestivenightsspentdecoratingtheirfloats,studentswould take to the streets of Johannesburg in their finest fancy dress, parading through town and showing off their fabulousfloatsinanattempttowintheawardforbestfloat.Intherun-uptotheparade,studentswouldhitthe streetssellingcopiesofWitsWitsRagmagazine,inacampaigncommonlyknownasthe“Witsblitz”.

Each year, a Rag Queen was elected, and, after the parade, a Rag Ball was held in the Examinations Hall. The ball was always a most elegant affair where only evening gowns and dinner suits were considered appropriateattire.

GraduationBall

Graduation Ball was a festive and formal annual event organised by students. The Ball, usually held at the Wanderers Hall, saw a host of high-profile guests mingle with recent graduates dressed in their finest attire, inthe hope of beingmentioned in thelocal newspaper. The Hall was decoratedin Wits blue and gold, and dinner, drinks and dancing to a live band were the order of the day. The SRC election results were traditionallyannouncedattheBall.

Inter-Varsity

TodayWitsUniversitysportismostfamousforitsPremierLeaguefootballteam,BidvestWitsFCor the “Clever Boys”. However, back in the day, rugby was the most popular game on campus and the InterVarsity tournament against the University of Pretoria (“Tukkies”) was the highlight of the sporting calendar. Forweekspriortothematch,studentswouldgearupforthegamewithsingsongstoboostmoraleandstudent support.Newstudentswouldlearnthevarsitysong,ledbycheerleaders.

There were also clandestine raids between the two universities, mainly involving students living in residence. The raids were a fun way to rile the opposition ahead of an important match. In 1956, a Wits UniversityraidresultedinTukkies’administrationbuildingsbeingpaintedred.Thecontroversygeneratedby sucheventsresultedintheraidsbeingbannedinthe1950s.Thoughstudentscontinuedtheraidsillicitly,they eventuallystoppedinthe1960swhenastudentwaskilledinacar-chase.

InterestingFactsaboutWits

 Wits is home to one of the largest fossil collections in the southern hemisphere and is internationallyrecognizedasaleaderinthepalaeo-sciences.Witsscientistshavebeencontributingto thepalaeo-sciencesrecordforalmostacentury.

 The University owns the Sterkfontein Cave (in the World Heritage Site), the Wits Rural Facility in Mpumalanga,and half of a private teaching hospital, theWits Donald Gordon Medical Centre.

 The Wits Medical Schoolis one of the best on the continent and through the Wits Donald GordonMedicalCentreWitstrainsmorespecialistsandsuper-specialiststhananyotheruniversityin SouthernAfrica.

 Wits will host the second African IBM Research Laboratory, one of only12 such mega-labs acrosstheworld.

 Wits staffandstudents haveaccessto1 206 144bookvolumes,150,012print andelectronic journal titles, 234 online databases and over 3,300 collections of historical, political and cultural importance,encompassingthemid-17thCenturytothepresent,someofwhicharebeingdigitisedfor preservation.

 TheWits Arts Museumis one of Johannesburg’s premier tourist attractions located in Wits’ culturalarc,currentlynumberingover9,000items.

 TheOriginsCentre,aworldclassinternationaltouristsiteatWits,includesexhibitionsonthe KhoisanandRockArtandtellstheuniquestoryofhumankind'screativity.TheUniversityalsoboasts oneofthelargestandmostdiversegroupsofgeoscientistsinAfrica.

 The Wits School of Governanceis the largest postgraduate school of public management in SouthernAfrica.

 WitsUniversityPresswasestablishedin1922andisSouthAfrica’soldestuniversitypress.It has a long history of publishing in fields as diverse as politics, psychology, history, archaeology and RockArt,theatreandliterarystudies.

 Wits is the only university globally to have supplied both animage and the motto for its country’s coat of arms. In 2000, former President Thabo Mbeki asked scholars at Wits’ Rock Art Research Institute for an indigenous rockart image and mottofor South Africa’s coat of arms. The image of a human figure represents the Khoisanpeople, the country’soldest known inhabitants, and wascopied from the Linton Panel, a slab of rock art removed in 1918, housed at Iziko in Cape Town.Wits rock art specialist Professor EmeritusDavid Lewis-Williams translated the phrase, “people who are different come together”, supplied by the President in English, into the no longer spoken|XamSanlanguage,withthe|Xamwordsǃkee꞉ǀxarraǁke.Thewholepanelmaybeseenona touch screen in the Origins Centre Museum, alongside a modern interpretive artwork by |Xam San descendants

4.TheCivilEngineeringProfession

ABriefDescriptionofCivilEngineering2

Civil engineeringis the professional engineeringdiscipline that deals with thedesign,construction, andmaintenanceof the physical and naturallybuilt environment, includingpublic workssuch as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports,sewage systems, pipelines,structural componentsof buildings, and railways. It is considered the second-oldest engineering discipline aftermilitary engineering,and it is defined to distinguishnon-militaryengineeringfrommilitaryengineering.

Civilengineeringasadiscipline

Civil engineering is the application of physical and scientific principles for solving the problems of society, and its history is intricately linked to advances in the understanding of physics and mathematics throughout history. Because civil engineering is a broad profession, including several specialized subdisciplines, its history is linked to knowledge of structures, materials science, geography, geology, soils, hydrology,environmentalscience,mechanics,projectmanagement,andotherfields.

Civilengineeringasaprofession

Engineeringhasbeenanaspectof lifesincethe beginningsof humanexistence.The earliestpractice of civil engineering may have commenced between 4000 and 2000 BC inancient Egypt, theIndus Valley civilization,andMesopotamia(ancientIraq)whenhumansstartedtoabandonanomadicexistence,creatinga needfortheconstructionofshelter.

Inthe18th century,thetermcivilengineeringwascoinedtoincorporateallthingscivilianasopposed tomilitaryengineering.

In 1747, the first institution for the teaching of civil engineering, theÉcole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, was established in France; and more examples followed in other European countries, like Spain (Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos).The first self-proclaimedcivil engineerwasJohn Smeaton, who constructed theEddystone Lighthouse.In 1771 Smeaton and some of his colleagues formed the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers, a group of leaders of the profession who met informallyoverdinner.Thoughtherewasevidenceofsometechnicalmeetings,itwaslittlemorethanasocial society.

In 1818 the Institution of Civil Engineers was founded in London,and in 1820 the eminent engineerThomasTelfordbecameitsfirstpresident.TheinstitutionreceivedaRoyalcharterin1828,formally recognisingcivilengineeringasaprofession.

Itscharterdefinedcivilengineeringas:theartofdirectingthegreatsourcesofpowerinnatureforthe useandconvenienceofman,asthemeansofproductionandoftrafficinstates,bothforexternalandinternal trade,asappliedintheconstructionofroads,bridges,aqueducts,canals,rivernavigationanddocksforinternal intercourseandexchange,andintheconstructionofports,harbours,moles,breakwatersandlighthouses,and in the art of navigation by artificial power for the purposes of commerce, and in the construction and applicationofmachinery,andinthedrainageofcitiesandtowns.

Education

Civilengineers typicallypossessanacademicdegreeincivilengineering.Thelengthofstudyisthree tofiveyears,andthecompleteddegreeisdesignatedasabacheloroftechnology,orabachelorofengineering. The curriculum generally includes classes in physics, chemistry, mathematics,project management, design andspecifictopicsincivilengineering.Aftertakingbasiccoursesinmostsub-disciplinesofcivilengineering, theymoveontospecializeinoneormoresub-disciplinesatadvancedlevelssuchasMScorPhD.

2 This is an extract from Wikipedia, made on 13 July 2025 and edited to fit in with the tone of the Class of ’75 BOOK – readers are encouraged to consult Wikipedia and search Civil Engineering for the full text and many excellent references.

Practicingengineers

In most countries, a bachelor's degree in engineering represents the first step towardsprofessional certification, and aprofessional bodycertifies the degree program. After completing a certified degree program,theengineermustsatisfyarangeofrequirementsincludingworkexperienceandexamrequirements before being certified. Once certified, the engineer is designated as aprofessional engineer(in the United States, Canada and South Africa), achartered engineer(in mostCommonwealthcountries), a chartered professional engineer (in Australia andNew Zealand), or a European engineer (in most countries of theEuropean Union). There are international agreements between relevant professional bodies to allow engineerstopracticeacrossnationalborders.

Sub-disciplines

Thereareanumberofsub-disciplineswithinthebroadfieldofcivilengineering.Civilengineersapply the principles of geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, water or hydraulic engineering, environmental engineering, transportation engineering and construction engineering to residential, commercial,industrialandpublicworksprojectsofallsizesandlevelsofconstruction.

There are increasingly more sub-disciplines being recognised depending on where in the world one finds oneself. These include Coastal engineering. Earthquake engineering, Forensic engineering, Materials science or Materials engineering, Municipal engineering and Water resources engineering.

5.ProfessorsandLecturers(1971–1975)

Front row: Prof. G.E. Blight, Prof. A.J. Ockelston, Prof. J.E.B. Jennings, Prof. D.C. Midgley, Mr. M. Maltz. Back row: Mr. P. Stott, Dr. H.I. Schwartz, Mr. C.W Wolhuter, Mr. G.E. Poole, Mr. H.W. Weiss, Mr. F.H. Malpas.

WITSAcademicsthatwereSAICEPresidents

ProfWGSutton 1945

ProfJEBJennings 1958

ProfAJOckleston 1960

ProfDCMidgley 1968

ProfHISchwartz 1981

ProfAJKemp 1991

Photo: J.W. Stanford (Copyright)

5.1 ObituaryProfessorJ.E.B.Jennings3

(4September1912–26August1979)

He was born on 4 September 1912 and was a Professor in the School of Civil Engineering at theUniversity of Witwatersrand,and its headofdepartmentfrom1954untilhisretirementin1976.

In recognition of his contribution to geotechnical practice in South Africa, theSouth African Institute of Civil Engineering's GeotechnicalDivisionhostsanannualJenningsLecture.TheJEJennings Award is given annually to the author of a meritorious geotechnical engineeringpublicationbyaSouthAfrican.

JenningswasborninKrugersdorp,nearJohannesburg.Atninehe developed asthma which hampered his schooling and followed him for therestofhislife.

He married Majorie in 1939, and they had three daughters and a son.Hediedon29August1979afterashortperiodinhospital.Marjorie survivedhimbyameretwoweeks.

He went to school in Newcastle (Northern Natal), later graduating from theUniversity of the Witwatersrand withaBScdegreeincivil engineeringin1933.Aftergraduating,hejoinedtheSouth African IrrigationDepartmentforabriefperiodbeforereturningtotheUniversityofWitwatersrandasajuniorlecturer intheCivilEngineeringDepartment.

In 1935, he studied soil mechanics underKarl TerzaghiandArthur Casagrandeat theMassachusetts Institute of Technologyobtaining a Master of Sciencedegree in engineering. After a brief period studying at the University of California he returned to South Africa in 1937 to work in the research section ofSouth AfricanRailwaysandHarbours.

Jenningsmovedto the NationalBuilding ResearchInstitute(NBRI) in1946andwas soonappointed the director in 1949. Despite his many duties as director, he remained in control of the Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering Division. In 1954, the University of Witwatersrand appointed Jere Jennings to the KanthackChairofCivilEngineeringandheadofdepartment.Itwasherethathedevelopedtheinitialtheories aroundheavingclayandlow-costhousingfoundations.

At Wits, he introduced full courses in soil mechanics and geology into the undergraduate curricular and several postgraduate courses. His research interests predominantly revolved around expansive clays, collapsiblesands,dolomitesinkholesandtailingsdams.Heremainedanactiveconsultantworkingonvarious deep opencast mining operations, foundations for concrete headgears, forensic investigations of tailings dam failuresanddeepexcavations.HeworkedcloselywiththeengineeringgeologistA.B.ABrink

Jennings was awarded the degree ofDScin Engineering,Honoris Causa, by the University of Witwatersrandin1978.InthesameyearhealsoreceivedaDScinEngineeringfromtheUniversityofNatalfor athesisbasedonhispublishedwork.

The Revised Guide to Soil Profiling for Civil Engineering Purposes in Southern Africa soil, written byJennings,A.B.A.BrinkandA.A.B.Williams,isthebasisforallgeotechnicalsiteinvestigationpracticein southern Africa. This guide requires soils be profiled according to moisture condition, colour, consistency, structure,soiltypeandorigin,forwhichthemnemonicMCCSSOwascoined.

He also contributed significantly to the early understanding of heaving clays,helping to organise the 1st and2nd InternationalConferenceonExpansiveSoilsinTexasin1965and1969,respectively,andthe3rd in Haifain1973.

Jennings was spokesperson for South Africa at the 2nd International Conference on Soil Mechanics FoundationEngineering(ICSMFE)heldinRotterdamin1948.

HewasinstrumentalinformingtheSoilMechanicsandFoundationEngineeringDivisionofSAICE, andisconsideredoneofthefoundingmembersoftheInternationalSocietyofSoilMechanicsandFoundation Engineering(ISSMFE).

The1st AfricanRegionalConferenceonSoilMechanicsandFoundationEngineering,heldinPretoria in1953,wasorganisedunderhisdirection.HeservedasVice-PresidentforAfricaoftheISSMFEfrom1957 until1961.

3 Extracted from Wikipedia and Geotechnique Volume 30, issue 3, September 1980.

Henotonlycontributedtothewidercivilengineeringfraternity,asthe youngest Presidentof SAICE in1958,butalsothewiderengineeringfraternitybyactivelyparticipatingintheProfessionalEngineersJoint Council formed in 1961, to advance professional practice. This council saw to the enactment of Professional Engineers’ Act of 1969, which detailed the requirements for professional registration of engineers. This Act wassucceededbytheEngineeringProfessionActof2000whichestablishedtheEngineeringCouncilofSouth Africa.

Jennings’ waselectedto HonoraryMembership of both theSouth African Institute of Architectsand the South African Chapter of Quantity Surveyors. He was honoured by a dedicated session at the 4th InternationalConferenceonExpansiveSoils,heldinDenverinJune1980.

Forhiscontributionstocivilengineering,hewasawardedtheSAICEGoldMedalin1963andelected anHonoraryFellowofSAICE.

5.2 ObituaryProfessorA.J.Ockleston4

Prof Allan Joshua Ockleston died on 17 February 1988 at the age of 79. He was a Past President of SAICE and served on the Council for many years. He was also the editor of the SAICE Transactions. He was also a Vice PresidentoftheInstituteofStructuralEngineers(London)andPastChairman oftheSouthAfricanBranch.

He will be fondly remembered by a generation of students to whom he taught structural engineering between 1940 and 1978 at the University of the Witwatersrand. He was a true scholar and complete master of his chosen field. His lectures were carefully thought out and meticulously presented. It was frequently acknowledged that it was difficult not to understand the intricacies of structural engineering with Allan Ockleston as your teacher. NumerousmajorstructuresthroughoutSouthAfricabeartestimonytotheseteachingskills.

AllanwasborninAucklandNewZealand,in1908andgraduatedfromtheUniversityofNewZealand in 1933, He conducted his doctoral research under the legendary Prof (later Sir) John Baker at Bristol University on stress analysis of complex braced frames and obtained his PhD in 1936. His interest in the dynamicbehaviourofstructureswaskindledduringthisperiod,andhespentthefollowingtwoyearsworking inthisfieldattheUniversityCollege,Cardiff.

Following two years at the University of Cape Town, he was appointed a Senior Lecturer at Wits in 1940.In1952hewasawardedaseniordoctoratebyWitsandpromotedtoReaderinrecognitionofhisresearch achievements. At the start of the following year, he was appointed as the first Professor of Structural EngineeringintheBritishCommonwealth.

He was recognized by practitioners and academics as an expert in a number of fields, including dynamicstructuralbehaviourandreinforcedconcreteslabs.Theresultsofhisfull-scaletestsonthefloorslabs oftheOldDentalHospitalarerecognizedinternationallyasamajorcontributiontotheunderstandingofyield line behaviour and membrane action. He was the author of a number of significant technical papers in internationaljournalsvaryingfromthe AeronauticalResearchMemoranda tothe PhilosophicalMagazine.He receivedtwoTelfordPremiumAwardsforpapersintheJournalofSAICE.

HemadeanimmensecontributiontostructuralengineeringinSouthAfricathroughtheUniversityof theWitwatersrand,SAICEandtheBritishInstitutionofStructuralEngineers.

4 Extracted with minor adjustments from Die Sivile Ingenieur in Suid Afrika Mei 1988

5.3 ObituaryProfessorD.C.Midgley5

We paytribute to ProfessorDesmond Clifford Midgley– philosopher, teacher, engineer, environmentalist, ambassador – whose life’s work was dedicated to the benefit of his fellow man, and who passed away on 12 April 1997afterabriefillness.

Des was born in Durban on 6 June 1914. He was educated at Hilton CollegeandgraduatedwithaBScCivilEngineeringdegreefromtheUniversity of Natal in 1934. He commenced his professional career in the Department of Irrigation and during the War served in the South African Engineering Corps withtherankofCaptain.

In 1952 he was awarded a doctorate from his Alma Mater. In 1956 he embarkedonanacademiccareerattheUniversityoftheWitwatersrandwithan appointment to the Chair of Hydraulic Engineering which he held until 1977. Thereafter he founded and directedtheHydrologicalResearchUnituntilhisretirementasProfessorEmeritusin1981.

HesubsequentlyjoinedWatermeyerLeggePiesoldandUhlmannasaSpecialistConsultant.Untilhis deathhecontinuedtoproduceprodigiousamountsofworkinseveralAfricanCountries.

Desmond served the engineering profession as President of SAICE and of the Associated Scientific and Technical Societies of South Africa. He was vice chairman of the South African National Committee of theInternationCommissiononLargeDams.HewasamemberoftheWaterResearchCommissionfrom1967 to 1972 and also of the Prime Ministers Scientific Advisory Council. In addition he was a Fellow of many national and internation learned societies, as well as being amongst others, an Honorary Life Trustee of the SouthAfricanWildLifeSociety.

In the communication of his studies and in publications his work was of the highest calibre. Among themajorworksthatflowedfromhispenwerethereleasein1969oftheDesignFloodDeterminationManual, South Africa’s first comprehensive guide to flood hydrology and the definitive Water Resources of South AfricaSurvey.In1986theUniversityoftheWitwatersrandconferredonProfMidgleytheDoctorofScience inEngineering honoris causa,forhisinvaluablecontributiontothescienceofhydrologyandwaterresources ofSouthernAfrica.

The achievements of this modest and unassuming man have not gone unrecognised. In 1993 his countryawardedhimthehighestcivilhonour,theOrderofMeritoriousServiceClass1–Gold.Hispeersalso honoured him with the SAICE Gold Medal Award for his outstanding contribution to the profession (1979), theAS&TSGoldMedalAwardandtheGoldMedalforservicetotheSouthAfricanVeldTrust.

Theinternationalcommunityrecognisedhisachievements.HereceivedthePaulHarrisFellowshipin 1984 and on his 82nd birthday he was advised by the International Association of Hydrological Sciences that hewastherecipientoftheirprestigiousGoldMedal.

Hewillbefondlyrememberedbygenerationsofengineeringstudentandcolleagues.

5.4

ObituaryProfessorG.E.Blight

6

Prof Geoff Blight’s engagement with the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) spans over 60 years. During this period, he contributed immensely to the engineering profession and established himself as a leading academic,especiallyinthefieldsofgeotechnicalandmaterialsengineering.

This reputation led to an invitation to present the Rankine Lecture in 1997, considered the most prestigious invitation bestowed on a geotechnical engineer. In fact, he is one of only three presenters who reside south of the equator.

Despite his numerous accomplishments, Prof Blight lived a life of humility, which was an enduring feature of his personality. In the world of academics, curricula vitae are typically volumes in length. Yet, Prof Blight’s wasonlythreepages;theimpact,however,istitanic.ProfessorBlight(PrEng)wasanA-ratedNRFresearcher

5 Obituary extracted from CIVIL ENGINEERING May 1997.

6 Obituary by Prof Mitchell Gohnert Head: School of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of the Witwatersrand and Extracted from Civil Engineering December 2013

and held numerous degrees. He held BSc (Eng) (1955) and MSc (Eng) (1957) qualifications from Wits and completedhisPhDinSoilMechanicsin1961fromImperialCollege,London.

Inaddition,hereceivedfourseniordoctoratesandanhonorarydoctorate:aDSc(Eng)inGeotechnical EngineeringfromImperialCollegein1975;aDSc(Eng)inMaterialsEngineeringfromWitsin1985;another DSc(Eng)qualificationfromtheUniversityofCapeTownin1993;aDEngdegreefromWitsin2001,focusing on theApplication ofResearchin Practice;andfinally, in 2009, an Honorary Doctorate of Engineeringfrom Wits,theuniversity’shighesthonour.

Withover330paperspublishedinaccreditedjournals,ProfessorBlightwasinternationallyrenowned as a researcher of the highest standing. He was well published internationally and authored five books (his finalbookwascompletedjusttwodaysbeforehisdeath).

HeservedasamemberoftheInternationalSocietyforSoilMechanicsandFoundationEngineering’s Technical Committees on Tailings Dams, Unsaturated Soils, Residual Soils (former Chairman) and Erosion ofSoils;andasamemberoftheInternationalSolidWasteAssociationWorkingGrouponSanitaryLandfills. HewasalsoamemberoftheInternationalCommissiononLargeDams’CommitteeonTailingsDams,anda member of the drafting committee of the South African Bureau of Standards’ Code of Practice on Mine Residue.

Therecipientofnumerouslocalandinternationalawards,ProfessorBlightwastheonlySouthAfrican to be awarded the J James Croes Gold Medal for Innovation in Research by the American Society of Civil Engineersin1975.HewasalsotheonlySouthAfricanchosenasa“CrossCanadaLecturer”bytheCanadian GeotechnicalSociety,and,aspreviouslymentioned,hewasselectedbytheBritishGeotechnicalSocietyasa “RankineLecturer”in1997.

NanyangUniversityinSingaporeselectedhimasa“GRCLecturer”in1997.In2003,ProfessorBlight was commended by the Italian NationalGroupfor the Prevention of Hydrogeologic Hazards for his research onflowfailuresoftailingsdams.Furthermore,hewaschosenasthe“LawrenceLecturer”bytheSolidWaste AssociationofNorthAmericain1999andwasawardedtheTelfordPremiumbytheBritishInstitutionofCivil Engineersin1991.

Prof Blight was an Honorary Fellow of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering and was awardedtheSouth AfricanGeotechnicalMedalin1997 andthe Distinguished Researcher Awardin1989 by thatInstitution.

He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa in 1991, and asa Founder Member of the South African Academy of Science and the South African Academy of Engineers in the same year. Elected a Life Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2000, Prof Blight also received the President’s Award for Exceptional Service to the Waste Management Profession by the Institute of Waste ManagementofSouthernAfricain2002.

Prof Blight consulted widely to industry and to several large corporations like Anglo American, Bateman Engineering, Billiton, Eskom, Holcim Cement, Impala Platinum, MittalSteel and Pretoria Portland Cement.

On a rare occasion, universities are blessed with individuals whose brilliance soars higher than the heavens;ProfBlightwas,indeed,arareprodigyandunmatchedintheworldofintellects.Hispresenceinthe HillmanBuildingwillbesorelymissed,buthislegacywillcontinuetoinfluenceandinspire.

Hiswifeandthreechildrensurvivehim.

5.5 ObituaryProfI.H.Schwartz7

Ivan or Prof or Doc as he was known to many of us, who passed through his classes at Wits, was born on 30 January 1927 in Ermelo. He had his early schooling there and later matriculated at King Edward VII in Johannesburg in 1943 at the age of 16. During a school holiday at Waterval Boven he met a young railway engineer (later Prof D De Vos of UP) who inspired him so that the desire to study engineering was germinated within him. Being too young to enter the Army, he proceeded to Wits where he studied1styearCivilEngineeringin1944.In1945hevolunteeredformilitary serviceandjoinedtheSAEngineeringCorpsasaSapper.

He was stationed at Potchefstroom and Plettenberg Bay where he learnt how to blow up bridges and build temporary steel bridges. Fortunately for Ivan the war was ended by an atom bomb, and he returned to Wits graduating with a BSc Engineering degree in 1948. This was the (in)famousClassof’48whoseclassphotowasnotonthewalloutsidetheprofessor’sofficesastheyallarrived inebriated, aftera night atthe Dev,for thephoto session. The Headof Department at thetime,refusedtoput thephotoonthewall.Thisgapwasonlyfilledafewyearsagoafternearly70years.AtWitshewasChairman of College HouseMen’s Residenceanda memberof the SRC. He was also a keen and activemember of the WitsBaseballClub.

On graduating Ivan joined SSO and spent the first year of his working life surveying the streets of Harrismithtoprovide the townwithmodernsanitation.In1952hewenttoLondon whereheworkedfor two largefirmsofconsultantsonsewerandwaterprojectsintheMiddleandFarEastbeforedoingaPublicHealth DiplomaatImperialCollegeonaRockefellerScholarship.

During this period, he met and married a South African girl – Allison Mc Elroy. In 1957 the young couplereturnedtoSouthAfrica.

AfterafurthershortspellatSSOIvantookupapostunderProfMidgleyatWitsUniversity.In1967 hewasawardedaPhDforhisresearchon“SomeaspectsofthephenomenonoftheOscillatingNappe”.Inhis 20-year tenure at Wits Prof Ivan lectured to over a thousand of us on water and hydraulics – his favourite subject.Overtheyearsheauthoredorco-authored16Journalarticles(forwhichhereceivednumerousawards) and2conferencepapers.

Ivanwasinterestedindamhydraulicsandcarriedoutseveralinvestigationsandimprovementstothe splitters atJozini andWitbankDams.He alsointroducedthe concept ofjetboostingfor dredgingof offshore diamonds and more effective trenching for offshore pipelines. He also investigated (together with Prof Midgley) the possibility of storing water underground on the West Rand. He was also particularly interested inhydraulicmodelling.

Ivanwasanentertaininglecturerwhomadethesubjectmatterveryunderstandableforallhisstudents. He has been described by my classmates and others who have contribute to this document as engaging, interesting, inspiring, respected, revered, admired, gentleman, real character, good teacher, lively and never boring.Therearemanystorieshetold–enoughtofillabook.

Someofhisgemsinclude;

(1) At the stage when SA was metricating – a Kilonewton is the force exerted by a Frik du Preez on a scale

(2)Hesaid,whenstudyingaproblem–“youmustlookatitandseewhatitlookslike”.

Intheclassroom healsohadmanyanecdotesfromhisbriefmilitarycareer.Heoftenuseda riddleto startadiscussionandonlyproceededonceitwasanswered.Mostlectureswerestartedwithajokeortwo.

He left Wits in 1977 and joined the consulting firm Arup’s where he worked as a partner on several infrastructuralandroofdrainageprojectsinSouthernAfricaandriverbankerosioninIran.

In 1989 he joined Group 5 as a technical director, a position he held until he finally retired in 1992. Here he was responsible for investigating site problems where he resolved a lot of issues related to faulty

7 Obituary compiled by Errol Kerst with inputs from various persons and Extracted from CIVIL ENGINEERING September 2018

design and poor specifications. He also developed a method of flat slab casting and then hoisting them verticallytoassistingettingamajorprojectbackontrackafterbeingmanymonthsbehindschedule.

Ivan was involved in SAICE activities for many years through involvement in the Johannesburg Branch, the Hydraulics and Water Engineering Division and EXCO and Council and was elected SAICE Presidentfor1981.Shortlythereafterin1983hewaselectedPresidentofAS&TS.

OnretirementhecontinuedtohikeintheMagaliesberganddocrypticcrosswordstokeephislateral thinkingabilitiesalive.HeissurvivedbyasonIan.

5.6 OtherLecturers1975

(Photographsandotherinformationwerenottohandforsomeoftheotherlecturers)

LtoR:MessrsAvalle,WrightandMalpas

LtoR:MessrsMaltz,Caldwell&Gowan

6.TheHillmanBuilding

Extracted(withpermission)fromthe WitsReviewOctober2010.

7.Johannesburg’sHistoryandRoleinSouth Africa8

Johannesburg is the heart of South Africa’s economy, and The University of the Witwatersrandhasbeenperfectlyplaced,fromitsbeginningsastheSchoolofMining,toeducateand launch successive generations of leaders in all the disciplines that have developed South Africa and itsneighbouringcountries.LucilleDaviewroteasummarisingarticle,reproducedbelowinfull.

Johannesburg,themetropoliswiththecountry’stallestskyscrapers,wasoncejustveld(bush), dotted with rocky outcrops, scrubby bush and a network of streams. Today it is a cosmopolitan city ofmorethanfourmillionpeople,oneofthefewofits sizein theworldthat isnot locatedonariver oratthesea.ItislocatedinGauteng,thesmallestofthecountry’snineprovinces,whichcontributes around40%toSouthAfrica’sGDP.

Johannesburg has seen waves of different peoples occupying the area that is now the city: Stone Age ancestors dating back 500,000 years; Bushmen from 1,000 years ago; 500-year-old Iron AgefurnacesbelongingtoTswanapeople,andBoerfarmhousesdatingfromthe1860s.

But the city really started in 1886 when gold was discovered by Australian gold prospector George Harrison. Soon tents and wagons appeared, to be replaced by wood and iron structures, and again replaced by brick buildings. A town was demarcated, and a large, bustling market square. Buildingsgottallerandtaller,andtodaythecityboastsoneofthetallestbuildingsinAfrica-the50storeyCarltonCentre,builtin1973.

The gold rush saw prospectors from around the world trek up to the Witwatersrand, precipitating the Anglo-Boer or South African War of 1899-1902, in which the British fought the BoersovercontrolofthethenTransvaalanditsgold.

After the war another wave of migrants entered Johannesburg - up to 60,000 Chinese labourers were imported to kick start the mines again, only to be repatriated six years later. But Chinese merchants had established themselves in the city and still have a presence. The mines also brought European migrants to the burgeoning town. They provided the capital to reach deeper into theearthtogetthegold,whileblackSouthAfricanswererecruitedatlowwagestominethegold.

The first forced removals in the town in 1904 saw residents of Brickfields removed 25km down south after their brickmaking settlement in the town was burnt to the ground to contain a bubonic plague outbreak. They were settled in Klipspruit. This was the start of the city’s and the country’slargesttownship,Soweto.Andsothesegregatedcitywasborn.

Anothermigrantappearedonthedustystreetsofthetown-MahatmaGandhi.Hefoughtfor equal treatment for Indian and Chinese residents, developing Satyagraha or passive resistance, adopted by the African National Congress at its formation in 1912. Like Nelson Mandela decades later,GandhiwaslockedupintheOldFortPrisonin Hillbrow,thetown’sfirstprison,both ofthem forthesamereason:fightingforequalrightsfortheircompatriots.ThestrikingConstitutionalCourt nowsitsamongthreeprisons:theOldFort,thenotoriousNo4blackmen’sprison,andtheWomen’s Gaol.

8 https://www.southafrica.net/za/en/travel/article/the-history-of-joburg-city-of-gold

Theauthor,LucilleDavie,hasaBAEducationdegree,andaTESOLEnglish2nd LanguageCertificate.Shetaughtfor20 yearsandwasajournalistfor19years.For13yearsshewroteonthehistoryandheritageofJohannesburgforthejoburg.org.za website,andonabroadrangeofsubjectformediclubsouthafrica.com.ForthreeyearsshewroteamonthlycolumnfortheSaturday Star,entitledJoziRewired.Aselectionofallthesearticlesisavailableonlucilledavie.co.za

In2014shewroteabookforJohannesburgCityParks&Zoo,entitledAJourneyThroughJohannesburg’sParks, CemeteriesandZoos.ShenowconductsJoburgtours,teachesEnglishtoexpatchildrenandadults,andwritesaboutJozipeopleand otherJozistuff.Herinterestsincludereading,writing,mountainbiking,swimming,andtravelling.Shehascompleted4DusiCanoe Marathons,riddentheCapeArgusCycleTour,andclimbedMtKilimanjaro.

GoldwasthebackboneofJohannesburg’srapidgrowth.Intime,industrieswereestablished, and more and more people came seeking jobs and a slice of its wealth, especially after the 1913 NativesLandAct,whichrobbedblackpeopleoftheirland.

Buildings soared upwards and suburbs stretched in all directions, today covering an area of some 1,700km². The Sachsenwald Forest that was planted in the first decade of the city’s life has todaybecome anurbanforestof10milliontrees.

One of these suburbs was Sophiatown. It witnessed the city’s second largest forced removal inthe1950s,when65,000peoplewereremovedbyapartheiddecreetomakewayforworking-class whites. The suburb was the incubator of bountiful talent: writers like Nat Nakasa, Bloke Modisane and Don Mattera; and musicians Hugh Masekela, Dolly Rathebe, Dorothy Masuka and Thandi Klaasen. Artist Gerard Sekoto lived in the suburb for a while, recording life on the streets in vivid colours.

Thecitybecamethemicrocosmofthecountry’sfightagainstracediscrimination.Itwashere that two giants of the anti-apartheid struggle, Mandela and Walter Sisulu, learnt the ropes of resistance. Itwason adustysoccerfieldin Kliptownin1955thattheFreedomCharterwas ratified, bringingtogetherpeoplefromaroundthecountrytoexpresstheirdesiresforanequalsociety.

The ANC was banned in 1960 and turned to armed struggle. On 11 July 1963 the top leadershipoftheANCwasarrestedatafarmontheoutskirtsofJoburg,atLiliesleaf,hatchingaplan forarmedresistance.ThefarmhouseisnowaWorldHeritagesite,documentingingraphicdetailthe events oftheday.Eightmenweresentencedto lifeimprisonmentfortreason,amongthemMandela andSisulu.Theresistancehadbeensilenced.

IttookSowetoschoolchildrenonawinter’sdayinOrlandoinJune1976toriseupagainstthe apartheid government, to remind the world of apartheid’s brutal oppression. This catapulted Johannesburg and South Africa into the tumultuous 1980s, when apartheid was rapidly unwinding. Soweto was often the battleground of that demise - police chased protestors into the Regina Mundi Church, where you can still see the bullet holes in the ceiling and walls. Soweto has become a sprawlingtownshipofmorethanonemillionpeople.Itsmostfamousroad,VilakaziStreet,iswhere twoNobellaureateslived:MandelaandArchbishopEmeritusDesmondTutu.

It was in Joburg that Mandela lived after his release from prison in 1990. He settled in Houghtonwithhisthirdwife,GraçaMachel,anditisherethathedied.ItisinJoburgthatothergreat strugglestalwartsdiedandareburied:SisuluandhiswifeAlbertina,AhmedKathrada,BeyersNaude, WinnieMadikizela-Mandela,JoeSlovo,HelenJoseph,LillianNgoyiandmanyothers.

Today Johannesburg still strugglesto undo apartheid’s segregation, but the city hardly stops totakea breath,such is thedrive ofitsresidentstoexplore,make money, bebetter,havefun. Some ofthatfunhappensinitsmanyparksandgreenlungs;someofitdancingontopofitstallbuildings, some of itin its many excellent restaurants, pubsand shebeens, usually with residents basking inits beautifulsunsets.

8.ClassPhoto

CLASSOF'75STATUS

BRIEFBIOGRAPHIESPROVIDED

Name CurrentLocation

1 Abrahams Ian Sydney,Australia

2 Baillie John Johannesburg,SouthAfrica

3 Balkin David Sydney,Australia

4 Bandini Rob Johannesburg,Gauteng

5 Beckwith Robert Johannesburg,Gauteng

6 Breen Terry Mtunzini,KwaZuluNatal

7 Bruggemann Tony UnitedKingdom

8 Daniels Peter VancouverCanada

9 DeGidts Wouter Johannesburg,Gauteng

10 DeSouza Ricky PortDover,Canada

11 DeVallier Wally Johannesburg,Gauteng

12 Edmeades Peter Bulawayo,Zimbabwe

13 Gibbons Francis Johannesburg,SouthAfrica

14 Giles Evan Auckland,NewZealand

15 Goldberg Jeff Johannesburg,GautengandAustralia

16 Durham Arthur UnitedKingdom

17 Gollino Renato SomersetWest,WesternCape

18 Haigh Rowell CastleRock,Colorado,USA

19 Haupt Frank Hermanus,WesternCape

20 Horngren Kurt Kwadukuza,KwaZuluNatal

21 Kerst Errol Nelspruit,Mpumalanga

22 Klawansky Raymond Johannesburg,Gauteng

23 Lines Rob Bedford,UnitedKingdom

24 McGlashan Wayne Bottmingen,Switzerland&PlettenburgBay,WesternCape

25 Miller Keith PlettenburgBayWesternCape

26 Mumford Keith DanaBay,WesternCape

27 Nardin Paolo CapeTown,WesternCape

28 Raubenheimer Rick Johannesburg,Gauteng

29 Roberts Kelvin SalmonArm,BC,Canada

30 Schnuir Norman Ballito,KwaZuluNatal

31 Schultz Edwin Hillcrest,KwaZuluNatal

32 Shutler Graham CapeTown,WesternCape

33 Sullivan John Bulawayo,Zimbabwe

34 vanAswegen Francois Johannesburg,Gauteng

35 Wridgway Robert Surrey,BC,Canada

36 IanKClements

Deceased

Canada2018ObituarybyKarenClements(daughter)

37 BernieKrone Inthebush,May2021ObituarysuppliedbyMartieKrone(wife)

38 TimBEParton FaceBookNoticeCapeTown26June2022

39 ACHill ??

40 RobHulme Dec1976,PlanecrashnearSunCity

41 BarryPDevenish Johannesburg,28April2017

42 EJStern NotifiedbyRayKlawansky

43 FMKropfitsch Austria?

44 IanMVos NotifiedbyPamVosdeceased7Dec2024

45 JeremyWaterman NotifiedbyWifedeceased16October2021

ContactMade,BiographiesnotSupplied

46 BruceClarke Johannesburg,Gauteng

47 BrucevandenBosch Johannesburg,Gauteng

48 EdElton St.FrancisBay,EasternCape

49 MikeNelson Johannesburg,Gauteng

50 MikeWhitaker Johannesburg,Gauteng

Statusandwhereaboutsunknown,UnabletoContact

51 AJBruins

52 BAAustin

53 GavinToms

54 GIMBradley

55 GPThielen

56 HRRood

57 IanBMander

58 JMMurray

59 MPMyburgh

60 PADaly

9. ClassmatesofClassof’75

BIOGRAPHIES&REFLECTIONS

Thefollowing35biographieswereprovidedbythepersonnoted. Onlyspellingandobviouswordomissionshavebeencorrected. Eachmemberwasrequestedtoprovide2pagesusingtheguidelinesprovided. Each2pagerhasbeenplacedwithitspagefacingeachother.Inthefewcaseswhereonly1pagewas providedthesehavebeenputoppositeeachother.Thebiographiesarethusmainlyinsurname alphabeticalorder.

Abrahams,Ian

Reflection

Reflecting on my graduation from Wits Engineering School in 1975,whatstruckme at thetime wasthe highcalibreoftheprofessorsof international repute and teaching staff, along with the facilities of the world-renowned Engineering School. These aspects significantly propelledmycareer,whichhassincebeenone of continuous exploration, expansion,andinnovation.

Acolleaguerecentlysharedanaffirmation:"Withoutrisk,thereis noreward;daretostepoutsideyourcomfortzone." Thisistheepitomeof mycareerandfamilylife.

FootstepsinProfessionalLife

MyfirstjobwaswithCohenBahrLindsell&PartnersInc,raretofindamulti-disciplinaryengineering firm in 1975, when most firms focused on single disciplines like electrical or civil engineering. This multidisciplinaryapproachbecamefoundationalasmycareerprogressed.

DuringtheinductionmeetingwiththeHRmanager,IwasinformedthatIwouldalsoreceivetraining as a project manager, a role of which I was not previously aware. It was clarified that effective engineering requireswell-plannedandmanagedwork.

The next 6 years were challenging and successful, including delivering a major industrial plant, enabling me to relocate from Johannesburg to Durban for a 2-year period in the role of assistant resident engineer,supervisingthedesignIhadbeendelegatedtoperform.Thisbecamethelaunchpadformymigration toSydney,asAustraliahaddesignatedengineeringasapriorityskilltomeetapredictedresourcesboom.

EngineeringEmploymentinSydney

LandinginSydneyon30April 1985hadme settleinandsoontakeupemployment withMacdonald Wagner & Priddle Pty Ltd (MWP) (now Aurecon), a multi-disciplinary firm some four times in size that of myemployerinSouthAfrica.Displayedinthemaincorridorsleadingtoandinthereception,weredozensof awardsindifferentengineeringprojectsacrossalldisciplines.

MWPwas reputedasthe engineers’ engineer of the professionin Australiaandexposedme to many leading engineers in multi-disciplines. I worked on projects in the mining, heavy industry and commercial facilities, as the saying goes, that you “can only dream of.” I was grateful forthementoring I received from associatingwiththoughtleadersandleadingprofessionalsinthedirectorsandmypeers.

InthosedaystherewasnoCADtosupportdesignengineering.Ihaddraftspersonsatmydisposaland drawings were done on transparent paper. I would naturally take my drafted drawings to other departments responsible for electrical and hydraulics engineering and check that the structure would not clash with the electricalandhydraulicreticulation.Ipreparedascheduletocoordinatethedesignfromconcepttofinaldesign across all the disciplines, ensuring none of the building elements would clash. This was the first time implementedinMWP.

1987NextStepinProjectManagement

MWPencouragedme to embrace a career in project management. In those daysyou could count the number of project management firms on your two hands. My first day of employment in South Africa, “we willtrainyoutobeaprojectmanager,”wasrealisedinunexpectedways.IdepartedemploymentwithMWP.

InitiallyIworkedasasolepractitionerandwassuccessfulinwinningprojectmanagementinbuilding works,onebeingaretirementvillage.Thebuilderwasrecalcitrant,andastheauthorisedrepresentativetothe principal,Iterminatedthebuilder.Thiswaschallengedincourt,andmydecisionwasupheld. Iwentthrough a baptism of fire but on the other hand, this accelerated my knowledge and maturity that stood me in good steadtilltoday.

In1993IjoinedLucasMenyhart&TooherGroup(LMT)asapartneranddirector,aspecialistproject management and planning professional consultancy group in which I delivered project management, project planning and tracking of the delivery of projects, business improvement initiatives as well as claims managementfromdisputesintheconstructionindustry.

ThreeinitiativesinLMTcementedmyfuturerole:

1)DevelopmentofaprojectmanagementinformationsystemforAustraliaPostrestructuring itspostofficesfromold-fashionedpostofficeintomodernretailshopsthatyouseetoday:

2) Project Leader for the development of an Asset Management database to give the CSIRO PropertyManageratoolfortheplanningandmanagementofaportfolioofsome1,700assets,which hadeludedthemuptillthen;

3) NRMA (Australia’s largest general insurer at the time); design, development and deploymentofastate-of-the-artcorporateriskmanagementsystem.

In 1994 I undertook a Masters in in Construction & Project Management at the University of New South Wales, graduating in 1997. The Dean gave me credits from a Project Management Manual I had authored,ontheconditionthatIlecturedasaVisitingFellowtounder-andpost-graduates.

Leading on from this I was invited by the Electronics Department at Macquarie University, Sydney, toestablishapost-graduatecourseinProjectManagementincorporatingRiskManagement,whichIranfor3 years

2001NextStepinRiskManagement

I was the project lead and employed the software programmers that delivered the three software applications mentioned above. The NRMA ceded ownership of the risk system to me on the proviso that I establish a company to take ownership of the software and continue its ongoing development and sales. In Australia I founded CorProfit Systems Pty Ltd and the software was branded, KnowRisk. A back-to-back companywasestablishedinSouthAfrica,whichIhaveownedsince2015.

Australia and New Zealand Standards Associations jointly published the world’s first Risk Management Standard, subsequently adopted by the International Standards Association. I have contributed totheknowledgeandapplicationofriskmanagementundertheStandardandextendedonit.

In2011,IwasawardedapatentsubmittedintheUSAforhowaRiskDatabase“learnsovertime”.

In 2016, I published Enterprise-Wise Risk Management – Handbook - A Guide to a Practical Approach,whichIuseasareferenceintheprofessionalworkourfirmdoesaswellasfortrainingcourses.

I have served as a volunteer for the Risk Management Institute Australasia (RMIA) with the most recentroleachairofaSubcommittee,“CertificationsApplicantsPanel”,developsaccreditationstandardsand exams for Certified Chief Risk Officer® – (CCRO®), Certified Practicing Risk Manager® – CPRM® and CertifiedPracticingRiskAssociate®–(CPRA®).

In 2025 I gained a qualification, TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment course, necessary for me to train in a new course approved in January 2025 under the Australian Skills Quality Authority,“IntegratedEnterprise-wideStrategicRiskManagement”.Thisisthefirstqualificationgloballyfor achiefriskofficerorheadofriskrole,beingdesignedbymefrommyIPandincollaborationwithaRegistered TrainingOrganisation.

FamilyLife

In 1986 I had the honour of marrying VivianBall,whohadseparatedfromherhusband, and so I ‘inherited’ two stepsons, Eliot and Ian. VivianandIhavenothadchildrenofourown.

VivianandIhavehadawonderful marriage,andwehavebeenabletotravelwidely, mainlyonthebackofmyworkthathastakenme tomanycountries.Vivian’sstrengthofcharacter anddecencyhasbeenthebedrocktoanyofthe successesandbenefitsthatIhavegained.

9.2 Baillie,John

IwasborninCapeTownon27th November1953.

IattendedBishopsDiocesanCollegeasaboarderandmatriculated in1970.

Ididmypost-matricatBishopsin1971andachievedCambridgeA levelsinPhilosophy,Politics,EconomicsandEnglish.

Attainedmy BSc Eng Civildegree in 4 academic years from 1972 to1975andstayedinResatErnestOppenheimerHallduringthistime.

I attended the Executive Development Program directed by Prof NickBinedellatWitsBusinessSchoolin1997whichIcreditforlaunching my career into directorships at Bovis Lend Lease and Collins Property Projectsuntilretirementfromcorporatelifein2012.

MygreatgrandfatherwasRHMorrisaprominentbuilder/property developerinCapeTownfrom1878to1947.

MygrandfatherwasaMechanicalEngineergraduatingin1910fromGlasgowUniversity.Hefounded RobbMotorsinCapeTownwithagenciesforBentley,RollsRoyceandJaguar.

MyfatherwasaMechanicalEngineeringgraduateofUCTclassof1947.HewasadirectorofPhillips Petroleum,headofficeOklahoma,USAresponsiblefortheirprojectsinAfrica.

Istartedaconstructioncompanyin1981andgainedaccreditationtotenderforandexecutestructural steelcontractsattheKoebergNuclearPowerStationinaccordancewithstringentQA/QCprocedures.

I relocated to the USin 1985 on a 4-year H-1 professional visa courtesy of the equivalency afforded theWitsBScCivildegreeandspenttwoyearswithpropertydevelopersinManhattanasdevelopmentmanager on gentrification projects and a further two years as a partner with property developers in LA on retail and commercialofficeprojects.

I was appointed Managing Director of Bovis Lend Lease in1998 based in Johannesburg responsible for generating and managing turnkey building projects in the commercial office, retail, hotel and industrial propertysectorsin SA,Nigeria and Angola.Managedastaff of buildingscience,civil,electrical,mechanical engineeringprojectmanagers,quantitysurveyorsandaccountingprofessionals.

I was appointed Managing Director of Collins Property Projects in 2004 located in Johannesburg responsibleforgeneratingequitystakesinbluechiptenantdrivenlongleasedevelopmentsinthecommercial and industrial property sectors. Performed the role of principal agent on JBCC building contracts to deliver ourprojects.

Retiredfromcorporatelifein2012.

I undertook small new build industrial projects as principal agent on an ad hoc basis for third party developers from 2014 to 2024 with the object of training young design professionals in their QA/QC responsibilitiesduringthestage5constructionsupervisionphaseonJBCCbuildingcontracts.

Generation Z’s group of young consulting engineers (all disciplines) between the ages of 22-30 are notkeentospendtimeonsiteorattendregularsitemeetingsduringStage5wheretheirsignoffatinspection hold points is critical for delivering a quality building product and averting their firm’s potential liability arising from any future building failures. Building projects are built on sites not laptops unlike Sony Play Station!

Another problem area that’s evolved in the past 10 years is the “one man band” Consulting Engineeringpracticemostlypopulatedby35to60-year-old white men who’ve been affected and / or lost their jobs throughaffirmativeaction.

Lydia and Ilive in Bryanston and were married in 2000 when IinheritedtwostepsonsAlexandWade. I’m a memberoftheBryanstonCCgolfdivision.

Alex and Karolina have been living in Dublin, Ireland for 20 years and we have a 5-year-old granddaughter.

Wade and Cherise have been living in London for 7 years and we have a newborn grandsonwhowe’ll bemeetingforthefirsttimein June.

Wade graduated from Wits with BSc Civil Eng in 2010 and worked for SSI in the water division for two years while studying part time for the CFA charter. He graduated as a CFA charter holderin 2014andhis company of stockexchange research analysts transferred him to their London officein2018.Wadehassubsequentlyacquiredan MBAfromImperialCollegeLondonandjoinedthe WorldPlatinumCouncilasananalystin2023.

I joined the Rotary Club of Claremont, Cape Town in 1990 and was involved in the planning of the ArgusCycleTourandthemanagementoftheFinishatMaidensCove,CampsBay.

While at Rotary I started a Literacy and Numeracy Program for the underprivileged in Khayelitsha whichwonawardsfromRotaryInternational.

9.3 Balkin,David

It is almost 50 years since we graduated yet the moment seems like yesterday. Professor Ockleston’sfatefulwords“Imaybeabastard,but atleastIamafairbastard”keepremindingmethat hard work, self-discipline, saying it like it is / facing reality, are key factors that define my outlookonlife.

I will never forget the encouragement of Professors Blight and Jennings to ‘go further in the profession’ yet understanding how I disappointed them when I left it. These men and Professor Schwartz were not only my teachers, buttheywerealsomyearlymentors.

Fast-forward to 2025, my 72nd year. A privilegedandblessedlifesumsitupwell.Ihave a wife who has lived and grown with me for over 50 years. Our first date was Finn’s 21st birthday party in 1974.Thethemewaspriests andprostitutes!Despitethis inauspiciousstart,RosemaryandImarriedin 1977 andshehasbeentheemotionalrockuponwhichourfamilydependsandrelies.

Our two children, Melissa born in 1980 shortly after our arrival in Sydney, and Jeremy born three years later, and now their families, are all devoted to their selfless mother and grandmother. Melissa and her husband and their four children ranging from 19 to 10 live close by in Sydney. Jeremy and his wife live in NewJerseywiththeirsix-year-oldtwins.

Rosemary and I were the first of our families to emigrate from South Africa. The opportunity came earlywhenIwasadmittedtotheHarvardBusinessSchoolin1976.

MybackgroundinCivil Engineeringand inthelumberindustrylandedme ajoboutof Harvardwith TrusJoistinEugene,OregonwheretheypioneeredandmadelaminatedveneerlumberandtimberI-beams.I startedoutloadingrailcarsandwassoonpromotedtoplantsuperintendentwithallproductionandpersonnel responsibilityfor175people.Duringmytwoexhilaratingyearsatthecompany,theplanthadneverperformed better.YetIwasfired.

My temporary US visa status was the excuse, but the real reason was that I was a potential threat to myboss’boss.

Looking back, being fired was a huge blessing because it putusonthepathtoleavingthe United States and to making a wonderful life in Australia. In 1980 I was hired by McKinsey and Company, the global management-consulting firm, to join theirsmall Sydneyoffice.Atthe time,Isaw this opportunity as a stepping-stone to finding the rightindustrialjobbyleveragingMcKinsey’sstatus and reputation in a country in which I had no connections. Butthisplanfailed.

Instead, I devoted the next 25 years of my lifetothisfantasticinstitution.Iwasblessedtowork for an organization whose values were consistent withmyown,whose raisond’etre wastohelpCEOs solve their toughest business problems, which gave me the opportunity to work with and learn from someofthesmartestmindsontheplanet,andwhich providedthefinancialrewardsIwasseeking.

My‘dirtyhands’linemanagementexperiencecombinedwithmyacademicandtechnicalbackground, resultedinmebecomingoneofthegloballeadersinMcKinsey’sBasicMaterialspractice(includedindustries aremining,pulpandpaper,buildingmaterials,petro-chemicals,steel,aluminium,lumber).

I also built and led our practice in New Zealand where the highlight of my client service was being part of the creation of Fonterra, which is the most successful dairy farmers co-operative in the world and is

central to New Zealand’s economy. I was elected a Principal (junior partner) in 1987 and a Director (senior partner)in1993.

Ispent7yearsontwooftheFirm’sglobalpersonnelCommitteesthatelectedandevaluatedtheFirm’s PrincipalsandelecteditsDirectors.TheFirm’sDirectorselectedmetojoinMcKinsey’sShareholdersCouncil (BoardofDirectors)in2000.

IretiredfromMcKinseyin2005topursue newchallengesandtochange the balanceof mylife.The subsequent 20-year period has allowed me to weave my passions – my family, my community, building businesses,travellingandplayingtennis–intoafulfillinglife.

On the family front, we have learned that grandchildren are the dividends of life.You learn somuch fromthem.Theybringsomuchjoy.Theyareanopportunitytolearnfromone’smistakesandsuccesses. Working for my community, in my case Sydney’s Jewish community, started with Sydney’s major Jewish day-school.SevenyearsonitsBoard,turningitaround,resultedinaninvitationtojointheJewishCommunal Appeal(JCA),whichis theSydney/NSW’scommunity’sfundraisingandplanningroofbodyorganizationin 1993.IwasaskedtotakeonthePresidencyin2005.

Thishalf-timehonoraryrolewastheperfectstepintoretirementfrommyprofessionalcareer.Istepped aside when I hit the 6-year time limit but continue to serve in an advisory capacity as an Honorary Life Governor.TodayIamaBoardmemberoftheorganizationprovidingJewisheducationtochildrenwhodonot attend Jewish dayschools, and I amthe President of our daycare centre for the olderandfrailer membersof ourcommunity.

In2011IwasawardedAustraliaDayhonours bytheAustralianGovernmentforservicestobusiness andtheJewishcommunity.

Private equity has been a long-time interest. I teamed up with a friend to acquire a small underperforming industrial public company, and I joined the Advisory Board of a new private equity firm after leaving McKinsey. Our purchase attempt was unsuccessful but left us with a relatively illiquid substantial financialstake.

In 2020, after over a decade of underperformance, the major shareholders appointed a new Board, whichInowchair.Weandthemanagementteamhavetripledthesharepriceandpaidoutsubstantialdividends over the last four years. My involvement with the private equity firm gave me the opportunity to lead the buyoutofanationalheightsafetybusiness,whichIcurrentlychair.

I am also a director of one of Australia’s larger Project Management advisory firms in the infrastructureandconstructionspace.

AlmostdailyexercisetostayfitandhealthyissomethingIhavedonethroughoutmylife.Thispassion is now directed at keeping me on the tennis court to play master’s and competitive tennis in Australia and, occasionally,overseas.

Rosemary and I do a lot of hiking, which we build our Australian and international holidays around when we arenot visitingour son andhis family in the US or getting our USandAustralianfamiliestogether ingreatlocationsfortheextendedfamilytogettoknoweachother.

We thank the good Lord every day for the hand we have been dealt, and we hope and pray that the worldwe leave forour childrenandgrandchildrenwillre-embraceWesternvaluessothattheycanenjoythe freedomandprosperityourgenerationwassofortunatetoexperience.

9.4 Bandini,

UbertoSilvano

(Rob)

Born in Ancona, Italy on 9 November 1950 of Italian parents, who madetheverybravedecisiontoemigratetoSouthAfricain1951.

Started school at Roodepoort Town school in 1956 and moved to St Joseph’sUrsulineConvent1958,completingprimaryschoolin1962. From1963–1968atFloridaParkHighSchool.

Enrolled at Wits University in 1969 in the electrical engineering departmentandchangedovertoCivilEngineeringin1971.Graduatedin1975 asacivilengineer.

In 1976 worked in Lesotho on a housing project in Maseru and a Church in Mohale’s Hoek. Earned enough to take a gap and visited Italy, Yugoslavia,Hungary,Czechoslovakia, Poland and Austria.

Also worked in an Italian Parmesan Cheese factory in preparation of what was to come.

1976-1977 - Transit Mix concrete as a plant manager and supplying concrete mainly to the Geldenhuys Interchange.

1977-1979 – Specialised in concrete and cement manufacturing with W.R Grace, an American corporate company.

Here I was exposed to many of the large civil projects happening in Southern Africa at the time. Namely Sasol II, Drakensberg Pump Storage Scheme, Koeberg Power Station, De Aar Munition Magazine, LilongweInternationalAirport, Nkula Electric Power StationMalawi andthe WesternBypass from Buccleuch to Grasmere.

At the same time, I was studying an MBL through UNISA.

1980-1982 – Worked for Stewarts & Lloyds in the Wind Energy Sector, and the first entries into Solar Energy.

Mid 1982 I took a leap of faith and went into food manufacturing.

From then till present, I have been busy with Milk Processing into various products. Cheese, cream, butter, liquid milk, flavoured milk and cultured milk. Also went into pre-prepared meals, confectionary and bakery. I have in the past 50 years used my engineering skills extensively. For fun I own a cattle ranch which I visit every weekend. (Cattle, horses, game, pigs, sheep and chicken). And I love to travel. Have visited all the continents and a good deal of countries.

Got married in 1981 and had four daughters.

Divorced in 2002 and have been semi-single since then I now have three grandchildren, Boy, Girl, Boy and try to see them daily.

I still go to work daily and enjoy running the largest independent cheese factory in South Africa and the largest Mozzarella factory in Africa.

 What would I do differently in my life if I could have it over?

Verylittle,butIwoulddefinitelytaketypingasasubjectatschoolandaccounting as a subject at university.

 Who would I like to have met if possible?

Steve Jobs, Mother Theresa and Clint Eastwood.

 What in my background prepared me for my current role?

Firstly, to look at problems or obstacles as challenges and opportunities. (Thiswasnotlearntoutofatextbookorverbalised by a tutor but something that grew out of necessity)

Secondly, an engineering degree.

Thirdly, an optimistic outlook and a good dose of self-confidence.

 What is my philosophy of life?

Learn from every person you meet. There are very few people with no wisdom. Be empathetic, you don’t know what is happening in others’ lives.

Grab every opportunity that comes your way.

Try not to procrastinate on unpleasant duties. Follow your innate instincts.

Carefully listen to others’ advice and then follow what you believe is correct. Wherever possible don’t do to others what you would not like done to you.

 Have I done wrong things in my life?

Yes, I have but they looked right at that junction in time.

 Have I done good in my life?

Yes, I have:

I respect the elderly, the infirm, the youth and the general populace. I have provided for countless people in the workplace and received back from them, good work, loyalty and honesty. Without good people this would be a sad place.

I apologise to the people I have hurt.

I thank everyone that has touched my life and helped make me what I have become. There are special people along the route of life, but that would take a separate book to cover adequately.

 What do I think is going to happen in the future?

South Africa is a special place and has survived 5 centuries and will survive despite all the prophets of doom.

 Looking forward to enjoying my remaining allotted time.

Rob and his daughters: Mirella, Silvana, Rossella & Adila (anticlockwise)

9.5 Beckwith,RobertHenry

Employment

On graduating I joined Hawkins, Hawkins and Osborne as a design engineer from 1976 to 1977. During this time, I was involved with design of bridges,aswellasstructural andgeometricassessments of roads in SWA (Namibia) to accommodate abnormal loads from WalvisBaytoRuacanaforthepowerstationatRuacanaDam.

IthenmovedtoWLPUfrom1978to1980whereIworkedasa designengineer.Iwaspartoftheteamthatdidpreliminarydesignsfor the pump house at Koeberg Nuclear Power Station. I also designed a uniquecellularsteelcofferdam.

From1978to1980IwasemployedbyLTAConstruction.Iwas initiallyemployedasasiteengineerforcontrollingofsitematerialsand survey work at Kriel Power Station and then was promoted to Site Agent for the Basic Sciences block at the new Johannesburg Academic Hospital and the Johannesburg MunicipalPensionFundBuilding.

From 1980 to 1986 I worked at Mc Clintock and Skinner first as a Senior Engineer and then and Associate. Here I was involved with feasibility studies for private rail sidings which included track work, motive power, lighting, earthworks and drainage. I then got involved with design and supervision aspects of reinforced concrete and steel structures and stormwater drainage for the Richards Bay Phase 3 expansion projectwhichincludedalargestructuralsteelshedfor6x120tlocomotives.

Ithen joinedthe Johannesburg City Councilinthe City Engineers Department. From 1987 to 1989 I wasfirstlyaseniorProfessionalEngineerandthenaChiefProfessionalOfficer.Iwasinvolvedwiththecontrol and organization of all functions related to the Johannesburg Sewer System which included discussions and negotiations with surrounding municipalities on operation agreements. I was also involved with the administration of building and plumbing Bylaws. Further involvement also included preparation of inhouse tender documentation, revenue budgets,manpower and successionplanning, I also actedasthe presenting or presidingofficerinstaffrelateddisciplinarycases.

FromAugust1989IwasappointedasAssistantCityEngineer,apositionIhelduntilDecember1993. In this position I prepared and submitted reports to the various Council Sub Committees and also attended meeting held by the Chair of such sub committees. I also represented the City Engineers Department at seminarsandothersuchevents.Financialestimates,planningandcontrolalsoformedpartoftheposition.

I also held discussions with various parties regarding the copying of the various Johannesburg engineering standards for inclusion in a National Act of Parliament as abasis for use by all Municipalities in SouthAfrica.

Duringthisphaseofmycareer,IwasanactivememberoftheUrbanDivisionofSAICE.

Health

During the last quarter of 1992 I caught the Herpes Simplex virus which resulted in my developing Herpes Simplex Encephalitis, a debilitating condition which forced me into early retirement. In retrospect it tookabout18yearsformybraintorecoverfullyfromthisdisease.

FurtherEmployment

Duringthisrecoveryperiodtherewerefourcompaniesthatwereabletooffermecontactemployment. ThefirstofthesewasGobaMoahali(previouslyKeeveSteyn)wereIactedasaSeniorEngineerduring1992 forAR50millionprojectfortheJohannesburgDevelopmentAgencytoupgradesewersinKlipspruit.

The secondcontract was for the period 2003 to 2012where I workedfor MSI Consulting Engineers. HereIdevelopedaTrainSimulationsoftwarepackagetoassessthenumberoftrainsrequired,howmanyand what type of locomotives, number of wagons which included aspects of rail curvature and grade as well as rollingresistance.

For a few months in 2012/2013 I spent the 3rd contract with R&H Rail doing estimates for future projectsforTransnetFreightRail.

In the period 2014/2015 I acted as a Resident Engineer for Callier Consulting Engineers on the UpgradingofMainRoad(R55)throughLaudium.

Personal

ImarriedMargaretin1978andhaveasonVaughanwhohasaBScIT.OurdaughterCaitlinisaCA. Shehasouronlygrandchild–adaughterHayley.

InmyyoungerdaysIhadapilot’slicensewhichhaslapsedduetomyhealthissues. IamnowaVeteranHonoraryRangerwithSANParksandhavebeeninvolvedfornearly30years. Iamalsoakeenandactivehunterandstillownallmyfirearms. IhavealsobeenanactivememberoftheDemocraticAllianceforanumberofyears.

9.6

Breen,

Terry

Engineerintraining

I started working for Savage and Lovemore on roads and bridges construction on the R82 through Vereeniging as site engineer. This was followed by working on a section of the N1 highway from GrasmeretoMisgund.

This was followed by the construction of the Bushkoppies outfall sewage works south of Johannesburg. My starting salary was R525permonth.IMarriedLynn(Collett) whomIhadmetinmyfinal year. She had been studying at JCE. Our first daughter was born in 1976.

PrEng

In1982wedecidedtorelocatetoNatal.Undertheguidanceof RexKennedyofJeffaresandGreenIobtainedmyPrEng.IjoinedPeter BayleyConstructioninRichardsBay.

I worked on various projects including the Richards Bay coal line,RichardsBayCoal terminal,andtheBellEquipmentfactory.The localRichardsBayeconomybeganslowingdown,andIwasofferedatransferwithPeterBaylytoStanderton. This was a pivotal point. Bridget my second daughter had been born. Through Round Table we had mademany friends,andthe Zululandlifestyle was irresistible. I decidedto stayon in Zululand start my own business.

Self-Employed

Undercapitalised,Istartedmyownconstructioncompanyspecialisinginindustrialwork.HeremyPr Engwasinvaluable.Itopeneddoorsandimmediatelyseparatedmycompanyfromothers.

IwasfortunateinhavingguidancefromRoyBennett,theMDofGrinakerinRichardsBay.Hiswisest advice to me was, “beware of overtrading”. Don’t take on more work than you can finance. However, the devastation caused by the Demonia Cyclone in 1984 meant that there was enough work for the civil engineeringconstructionindustryformanyyears.

I introduced the Loffelstein, segmental retaining wall system into Zululand. I started developing industrialpropertiesforthelettingoutofminifactories.

PropertyDevelopment

Myexpertiseinpropertydevelopmentledtotheformationofaprojectmanagementteam.Westarted off converting an old pineapple canning factory in Empangeni into an industrial park. This was followed by variouspropertydevelopmentsintheZululandarea.

LifeafterEngineering

In 1992 the family relocated to Mtunzini, a little coastal village 30 kms South of Richards Bay. By this time, I had all but left the engineering life behind me. I was involved in property development which devolvedintopropertymanagement.WhichisprettymuchwhatIhavebeendoingeversince.

Once our daughters had finished their varsity educations, Lynn and I got into off road traveling. We boughtaLandRoverandoneoftheearlyAfrispooroffroadtrailers.WithadvicefromKingsleyHolgate,we startedexploringthetracksofAfrica.WesetatargetofvisitingeveryNationalParkinSouthernAfrica.

We have done the Great Lakes areas, Serengeti and Gorongora, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia, Namibia and Botswana the entire length of Mozambique, the Great Karoo, the West Coast and of course iSimangaliso.KrugerNationalParkremainsafavourite.

OurmostrecenttripwastotheMaputoElephantParkinMozambique.

ForrecreationIplaygolf.Currentlyan18handicapoffthebluetees.

My hobbies are beekeeping and oil painting. Beekeeping started as a pastime but developed into a smallbusinessmanaging25hives.Ihavebeeninterestedinartformanyyears,initiallyasacollector,thenas

a water-colourist. Under the tutelage of a local artist, I moved fromwatercolourstooils.Ihavebeenpaintingforabout15years.

Wehave2grandchildrenfrommyeldestdaughter,livingin Cape Town. My youngest daughter decided that her biological clockwastickinganddecidedsheneededtohaveababy.After2 yearsofIVF,wearenowveryfortunatetohaveourdaughterand herdaughterlivingwithus.Whatawonderfuljourney.

Iam now semi-retired, veryactive in,travelaround Africa, my hobbiesandmanaginga smallpropertyportfoliowhileliving inMtunzini.

9.7 Bruggeman,Tony

AftergraduatingfromWitsin1975Ispentthefirstfewyearsworking for Watermeyer, Legge, Piésold and Uhlmann (WLPU) initially based in their CapeTownOfficeandthenas anAssistantResidentEngineer(ARE) supervisingconstructionofthecirculatingwatersystemsatKrielandMatla PowerStationsontheeasternhighveld.

In 1978 I transferred to the UK practice of WLPU as an ARE on the Imbuluzi Irrigation Project in Swaziland (Eswatini) for the construction of MnjoliDamandmainconcretelinedcanalforwatersupplytotheSimunye SugarEstate.

On completion of the projectin Swazilandin 1980, I relocatedtothe UK where I have been resident for last 45 years and specialised in dam engineering(predominantlyembankment dams). Companies workedforin theUK,mostlyofficebasedwithshortoverseasassignments,wereWLPU, Brown & Root Overseas Ltd., Howard Humphreys and Partners, KBR, JacobsandAtkinsLtd.

ThroughoutmycareerIremainedatechnicalspecialistanddidnotget involvedinbusinessmanagement.

In 1989, I completed an MSc and DIC in Soil Mechanics at Imperial College,London.

Overseas projects were carried out in: Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Eswatini(Swaziland),Ghana,Kenya,Libya,Malawi,Nigeria,Oman,Pakistan,TrinidadandTobago,United ArabEmiratesandZimbabwe.

I was a Chartered Engineer and a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (the Wits Civil Engineering degree was accredited by the Institution). Other professional appointments were the Panel of Supervising Engineers and then the All Reservoirs Panel under the Reservoirs Act, 1975 and the Reservoirs (Scotland) Act (2011). These Acts are the primary legislation for the management of reservoir safety in the UK where dams have been built from the time of the industrial revolution up to the present time, giving a medianageof120years.

Professionalcontributionsincludedco-authoringUKindustryguidancedocuments(Damsandreservoir conduits and Grouting for reservoir dams - a guide to good practice) for the Construction Industry Research Association.

AselectionofprojectsincludeKapachiraFallsHydroElectricScheme,Malawi:GreatMan-MadeRiver, Libya; Third Nairobi Water Supply Project, Kenya; Constantine Mellague Master Plan Study, Algeria; Arminou Dam, Cyprus; Dam Safety and Reservoir Desilting, Trinidad and Tobago; Wadi Hilt-Salahi Flood Protection Dams, Oman; Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (Dam Safety), Nigeria; Outline design for Havant Thicket reservoir (the first new reservoir to be constructed in the UK for 30 years) for PortsmouthWaterCompany,UK.

AsignificantamountofmytimewasspentonUKreservoirsafetyactivitiesarisingfromappointments, undertherelevantlegislation,bywatercompanies,localauthorities,governmentagenciesandprivateclients. These appointments covered statutory inspections, reservoir supervision, detailed design of reservoir safety improvementworksandconstructionsupervision.

Acoupleofcareerhighlightswere:

 SupervisionofthegroundinvestigationforKapachiraFallsHydroElectricSchemeinMalawi (1985). This assignment involved camping on the banks of the Shire River for 3 months – a

wonderful experience. A coincidence onthisproject was that an aerial surveyofthesite had beenconductedin1965andthecontrolpointsforthesurveywereinstalledbyRichardBullard who you may remember taught us land surveying. It was an early application of the TellurometerEDMsystem.

 The other was living in Cyprus with my family for three years (1995 - 1998) as Resident Engineer for the supervision of construction of Arminou Dam, which forms part of the SouthernConveyerSystemontheisland.

I have been settled happily with my wife (from Leicestershire) in London for the last 38 years – two sons,onealsoaCivilEngineerandtheotheramathsteacher/HouseMasterataboardingschool.

Iretiredin2020andhavebeenenjoyingtheculturalofferingsinLondonandwatchingrugby(Leicester TigersandEngland)aswellascricket.Iamluckytohaveawifewholovessport!

9.8 Daniels,Peter

EarlyLife

IwasbornandraisedinRivonia,whichwasjust a village in the 50’s, with gravel roads and very few fences.Greatforgo-kartingandbiking!Certainlynohigh wallsorsecuritygates.

WenttoschoolatStDavid’sMaristCollegeand didmilitaryservicewhileitwasstilloneyear.Withcivil engineering in mind, I was in the Sappers group in KroonstadthenBethlehemasa2ndLieutenant.

CareerBeginnings

After completing the Civils Degree at Wits, I venturedintotheprofessionalworldwithsomewhatofan ambition to make a mark. Started in a junior role at the Dept of Water Affairs, where I was rotated through various departments, building dams and canals based in Nelspruit, then working on Theewaterskloof Tunnels in Franschhoek and finally spending a year in the design office in Pretoria, where I met up again with Ray Klawansky.Thatwasprettymuchitforpurecivilengineering!ItwasinPretoriaImetJennyFrost,whoyears laterwouldlaterbecomemywife.

VenturesAbroad

After getting my Pr. Eng. Status, we embarked on a sailing venture with Gordon Ketelby, who some of you might remember.Hedidelectricalengineering.Weboughta40ftferrocementsailboattogether,thenstoringthe boat“Summer Winds” in Durban, left SA for a while to work as junior engineers in construction in the UK, to pay for the adventure! Jenny worked asaphysiotherapistinaLondonhospital.

We set sail from Durban in 1980, sailed to Cape Town, where we picked up 2 more crew members. Then headed north into the Atlantic via St Helena and Ascension islands to the Azores. Jenny and I left the boat with Gordon and crew and headedtotheUKformorework,whiletheboyssailed‘Summer Winds’toGreece,wheretheyleftitforthewinter. Jenny and I picked her up in the spring and sailed via Turkey, Italy and Spain to Gibraltar then across the Atlantic to the Caribbean.AftersailingaroundtheVirginIslandsforacoupleof months,welefttheboatthereforsaleinJanuary1982andheaded overlandviaCanada,flewtoLondonandbacktoSA.

WorkingLife

Webothstartedseparatejobs,gotmarried,had2kidsaboyandagirlandbuiltahouse,moreorless in that order. I started work for LTA Housing in construction and project management, then moved to Permprop, which was later absorbed by Nedbank and became Nedcor Properties. During this time I did the Managerial AdvancementProgramat DamelinCollege andthePropertyDevelopment ProgramatUniversity ofCapeTown.

Ourmostsignificant development, whichyoumightknow,wasWaterfordEstatesnear Fourways.In 1998 we were offered a management buyout by Nedbank, which did not materialise. The managing director ended up buyingthecompany himself, so Ioptedfora severance package andgotan opportunityto live and workinLondonfortwoyears.

I worked for Marlin Granite, a subsidiary of Anglo-American, importing granite slabs from Rustenburg Quarries for cladding on commercial buildings on the Canary Wharfdevelopment. We launched anapplicationtoemigratetoCanadaandin1999movedtoVictoriaonVancouverIsland.

My entrepreneurial side led me to start a new business importing granite slabs to USA and Canada, which also helped to speed up our application for permanent residence in Canada. To our surprise we discovered Kelvin and Elmarie Roberts living 2 blocks away from us! Our daughters became best friends in highschool.

Whenthemarketsimplodedin2008,Iwoundupthatbusinessandwentbackintoprojectmanagement forafamily-ownedconstructionbusinessinVictoria.

Philanthropy

During this time, I joined an architect friend and became a volunteer director of a charity building schoolsinTanzaniacalledPrimarySchoolsforAfricaPSFA.Todate wehavebuilt8schools,withteachers’ residences,kitchensandlibraries.

PersonalLife

InVictoria we settled quickly into the island life, bought a 30’ Catalina sailboat with another couple JennyworkedwithandsailedextensivelyaroundtheGulfIslandsandnorthtoDesolationSoundonthe west coast of British Columbia. Our son Robin studied for a BCom and passed the board exams for chartered accountancyandLaurenfollowedinhermom’sfootstepsandbecameaPhysiotherapist.

Jennydiedin2012aftera5-yearbattlewithcancer,soin2015Isoldourhouseandthesailboat,retired andmovedtothemainlandclosertomydaughterLaurenandherfamilyinVancouver.Shenowhasasonand 2daughtersagerange6monthsto 5years.MysonRobinlivesinOntarioandhas7sons and1daughter.So, Ihaveafullslateofgrandchildren!

I now live with my partner Lorna, near Vancouver, and am working part time at a nursery / garden centre, designing and constructing irrigation and greenhouse structures. Low stress, outdoor work and interestingpeople–thespiceoflife!

9.9 DeGidts,Wouter

It is hard to believe that it is now almost five decades since we all graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand. I look back on that experience and realize that it in no small way provided me with a massive foundationforamostfulfillingandrewardingcareerandlife!

IleftJohannesburgimmediatelyaftergraduatingandjoinedMurray andStewartinPortElizabethtorepayabursaryIgenerouslyreceivedfrom them.Ispent3yearsontheNorthSouthFreewayprojectinPE(anelevated concretefreeway,similartotheM1inJoburg)gainingincrediblesite experienceinpost-tensionedconcrete,boredpilefoundations,heavyduty sheetpiling,pilecapscastbelowsealevelandthelike.

IalsometandmarriedCathie,andtodayweareblessedwiththree wonderfulchildrenandfouramazinggrandchildren.

IthenjoinedLTA(nowAveng)inPEandthefamilymovedtoDeAar,PlettenbergBay,Standerton, BenoniandMarbleHallbeforefinallysettlingdownbackinJohannesburgin1987.Themajorprojects duringthisperiodincludedtheconstructionoftheDeAarmilitarydepot,thelesserbridgestructuresonthe GardenRouteN2betweenBloukranzBridgeandtheCraggsjustoutsidePlett,thenthedesignand constructionoftheTutuka,KendalandMajubapowerstationchimneys,andtheArabierollercompacted concretedamjustoutsideMarbleHall.

Thesewereallverydiverseconstructionprojects,whichincludedinteractionwithchimney designersfromGermany,androllercompactedconcreteexpertsfromAmerica. Theyalsowereremotesites,requiringthatmyfamilyandIrelocatetothenearesttowneachtimeI wasdeployedtoanewproject.Fortunately,Cathiewasfullysupportiveofmymoves,andgenerallyquickly securedherownjobwithinthelocalcommunity.

AninterestingchallengewaswhenIwasofferedtheArabieDamProjectManagerposition–forthe newlyconceivedrollercompactedconcretegravitydamdesignconcept,wheretheupstreamfacewas shutteredconcretein250mmlayers,andthebalanceofthewallwasverydrymixedconcrete,deliveredby tiptruck,spreadbybulldozerandcompactedbyvibratoryrollers,withthedownstreamfacejusttheexposed angleofreposeoftherollercompactedconcrete.

InaboutAugustCathieandIdrovethroughtoMarbleHallonaSundaytocheckouttheplace.We hadtwoschoolgoingchildrenatthetime,onegoingintoStandard2(nowGrade4),theotherabouttobegin schoolinGrade1.Wenotedthattherewerethreejuniorschools,twohad“MarbleHallLaerSkool”signson thegates;theotherhada“MarbleHallPrimarySchool”signonthegate.

Wethoughtnomoreofit,andIacceptedthepositionandfromSeptemberstartedcommutingona weeklybasisbetweenBenoniandMarbleHall.Inaroundmid-NovemberIthoughtIbestregisterourkidsat theschoolandwentthoroughtotheMarbleHallPrimarySchooltodoso.

OnarrivalIwasmetbyAfrikaansspeakingstaffandtomycompletesurprisefoundoutthatthistoo wasanAfrikaansschool.Imetwiththeschoolprincipal–adelightfulman–whoconfirmedthattherewas noEnglish-speakingschoolinMarbleHall–nearestbeingSettlersBoardingSchoolsome90kmfrom MarbleHall.Heconvincedmethatourkidswouldbeabsolutelyfine,wouldsettleinwithinthreemonths andIshouldnotworry.

Wekittedbothboysoutwiththerequisiteschooluniformsaweekbeforetheschoolstarted–includingtheschooluniformshop’srecommendedbrownschoolshoes.Theyarrivedattheschoolonthe firstdayofterm–fullykittedout,butthatwasthefirstandlastdaytheyworetheirshoes.Thereafteritwas barefoottoschooleveryday!Andtheprincipalwasabsolutelyright;withinthreemonthstheywerefully integratedintotheschooleachwithplentyof“maaitjies”and“praatingdietaal”.

ThissameArabieDamProjecthadaveryinterestingfinalchapter.IlefttheprojectinSeptemberof 1986,theprojectbeingsubstantiallycomplete.Asthefinalsnagsandminorworkswerebeingcompletedby therestoftheteamonsite,thedamlevelslowlycreptupfromaround5%fullwhenIlefttoaround15%in lateNovember.

Around12th DecemberIgotacallfromtheResidentEngineersayingIshouldmakeeveryeffortto cometositeinthenextfewdaysasthedamwaslikelytooverflowduetoheavyrainsinthecatchmentarea. Unfortunately,Iwasnotabletodoso.

TheninearlyJanuarytheEngineerinchargeofthedamproject(HeinrichGrimsell)calledand summonedbothmyselfandmyprojectdirectortoattendsiteurgentlyastherewasamajorwaterleakinthe galleryofthedam.Wewereunderstandablyconcernedanddulymetonsiteearlythenextmorningwith shortsandbathingtrunksasinstructed“aswemaygetquitewet”.

Heinrichsummonedustohopontothebackofthebakkieanddroveusacrossthedownstream bridge-whereweexperiencedtheamazingviewoftheOliphantsriverinfullflowovertheentirewidthof thenewdamspillwayanddroveontotheoppositesideofthedam,justupstreamofthewall.Herehe summonedustohopontohisHobieCatcatamaranstandingwaitingandtookusfora2-hoursailacrossthe dam.Itwasanamazingexperience.

WhatafewmonthsearlierhadbeendriedoutEasternTransvaalbushveld,withaggregatequarry andbatchplantsitescarswasnowcoveredinthisvastexpanseofpricelesswater.Wewerespeechless–completelyoverwhelmedbythephysicaltransformation,thequietnessofthebreezeoverthewater comparedtothenoisyconstructionsiteofafewmonthsearlier.AllHeinrichsaidwithhisdrysenseof humourwas:“Don’tworryguys,thegalleryisdry–butIneededyoubothtoexperiencethepositivepower thatwellengineeredprojectshaveonsociety.”

Thisconstructionprojectexperiencewasagainafantasticfoundationformovingintogeneral managementwithintheLTAGroup,whereapartfromcompletingtheConstructionManagement ProgrammeinStrategicTransformationatStellenboschUniversityBusinessSchoolin1996,Igainedboth constructionandmanufacturingsectorexperienceinsouthernAfrica,MiddleEastandAustralia,thelast30 yearsofwhichwereatexecutivelevel.

ProjectsincludedthedesignandconstructionoftherefractoryliningstotheAnodeBakeFurnacesat HillsideAluminiuminRichardsBay,thereaftersecuringfoursimilarprojectsatDubaiAluminium, providingheavydutyontrackmechanisedtrackmaintenanceservicestoTransnet,constructingrailwaylines inNamibia,MozambiqueandintheWestAustralianPilbararegion,managingabuildingfacadesdesignand manufacturebusiness,andavalvedesignandmanufacturebusiness. IretiredfromthatroleinOctober2017butwasrecalledinJuly2018toassistintherestructureoftheAveng GroupasMDoftheManufacturingGroup,fromwhichIfinallyretiredinAugust2022.

Ihaveneverbeenmuchofanathlete,butin1999Iwascoaxedinto cyclingtheCapeArgusbyagroupofworkcolleagues.Itwasthestartofan interestincyclingtomaintainarelativedegreeoffitnessandhavesince thencycledsome25CapeArgusCycleToursand24RideJoburg947 CycleRides.IamakeenwoodworkerandDIYenthusiastandaffectionately knownbymygrandkidsasMrFixIt.Theyhavenoworriesiftheybreak something,as“Grampiewillfixit”.

Ithaswithveryfewexceptionsbeenaveryrewardingandsatisfying careernodoubtstronglyshapedbythestrongfoundationthatWits provided.

9.10 DeSouza,Ricky(Ricardo)

Bornon27thJuly1953IspentallmychildhoodyearsinasuburbofJohannesburg,calledRoosevelt Park.Theprimaryschoolwasacrosstheroadfromthehousewelivedin,calledFranklinDRoosevelt PrimarySchool!

Iwasinoursoccerteam&athleticsteamformanyyears(byagegroup).Havingspentseven successful&happyyearsthere,IwenttoRooseveltHighSchool,whichwaswithinamileortwoofmy home.InhighschoolIdidplay1stteamrugbyandwasaprefect(notperfect).

Matriculatedin1970&wenttothe armyinVoortrekkerhoogte,nearPretoria. Spentoneyearthere&completedan OfficersCoursetobecomeaLieutenant(2 pips).Sothenitwastimetogotobig school–WitsUniversitytoattempta CivilEngineeringdegreeforfouryears. Andsothefunbegan… Biggest1styearclassever…how manyIdon’tremember!3rdyearwewere allinthesameCivilsclasswithProf Jennings.

Irememberthetimbertourtothe EasternTransvaalandtherugbygamewe played–whichIhadtocalloff,asthese guyswereouttokillus,thinkingwewere theactualWitsRugbyteam.Idohavea timbertourpicture–andtheshirtsweall bought&wore-exceptBruceClarke.

Finalyearjustflewby–butIdorememberthe‘boatracing’downbythepool,wherewelosttothe Medicsinthefinal(Beerdrinking).ThinkourEngineeringdinnerwasattheRosebankhotel–haveapic fromthattoo.Greattimes.Lovedit.

IstartedmyworkingcareeratSAR&H(SARailways&Harbours)inthesystemsofficein Johannesburg,rightbythestation,responsiblefortrackmaintenance.Whilethere,IwentouttoNigelafew timestoUnionCarriagewhoweremakinglocomotivesfortheRailways.Haveapictureofme&Peter OlsenfromUnionCarriage,whiledoinganonsiteinspection,whichIcaninclude(inB&W).

IsoonmovedtotheBridgeDesignoffice,whichwasgreat.Iwasdirectlyinvolvedinthedesignofthe tallestbridgeinSA,namelyBridge#6ontheJohannesburgtoDurbanmainline.IusedSTRUDLtohelpin thedesign,whichseemedwasveryhelpfultomyChiefBridgeDesignEngineer&a1stfortheBridge Office.

AtaboutthesametimetheBapsfonteinmarshallingyardwasbeingdeveloped.HereagainIusedFEA (FiniteElementAnalysis)usingshellelementstodesignabridgethatwas40Degreestotheabutments& includedmorethan2mofearthontoptoassistinpushingtrucksupandoverintotheverylargemarshalling yard.Hopebotharestillstanding(evenifnothingelseis).

Afterabout3yearsIresigned&movedtoControlDataCorporation(CDC),withHQinMinneapolis, Minnesota,tosupporttheirstructuralanalysisprograms,whichatthetimehadtorunonbigmainframe computers.CDCwereuniquemainframesupplierswitha60-bitword&wasusedforsupercomputing especiallyforweatherforecastingandscientificcalculationsinthosedays.Isoonbecamethetechnical supportmanager&latermovedintoengineeringsolutionssales.

IwasresponsibleforthebiggestCAD/CAMsoftwarecontractinSAworthoverR5Millionforsoftware& relatedhardwareproductssuchasUnixworkstations&electronic(dotmatrix)plotters!Thisdealincluded the1st3DparametricdesignsoftwarefromacompanycalledPTC,(ParametricTechnologyCorporation) basedinBoston(stillaroundtoday)andtheproductwasthencalledPro/Engineer.WebeatoutIBM(Catia)

andCV(ComputerVision)…ThecontractwaswiththeMechanical(primarily)andCivildivisionsofthe Railways.

AfewyearslaterIresigned&joined2otherguystoformanewcompanycalledAutomated Reasoning&asthenameimplies,wewereintotheearlydaysofAI.Ourproductforfault-finding,detection &repairwascalledI-CAT(IntelligentComputerAidedTroubleshooting).Traditionalmethodswereso calledrule-based,ourswasmodelbased.OurCompanybecameasubsidiaryofQDATAbasedinMidrand. Wewentfromstrengthtostrength&acquiredthedistributorshipforPro/EngineerfromPTC.Manynew customersadoptedthisproductincludingLIW,Kentron&DeBeerstonameafew.In1996Iwashonoured tobenamed‘personalityoftheyear’atQDATA.

Around1998Iendedupowningthecompany,asmyone(of3)partnerdiedsuddenlyovernight&then myotherpartnerlefttogoliveinSingaporeafewmonthslater.IcontinuedwithAutomatedReasoningtill mysonwaskilledinourdrivewayonMay8th,2000.IwasabletosellmycompanytoRandWorldwidein TorontoCanada,whoweremosthelpfulinthesedifficulttimes,byalsogivingmeaSalesManagement positionintheirHQinToronto.

AndsomylifeinCanadastarted,workingatRandWorldwide.StillworkingwithPTCproductdesign &productdatamanagement(PDM)softwaresolutions.We,myfamily&I,arrivedonthe17thofNovember 2000aFriday.OntheMondayIwasatworkinatotallynewworld&environment.

Iwassalesmanagerforourengineeringsoftware&consultingservices.Whilethiswentratherwell, RandhaddecidedtostopmarketingthePTCengineeringproducts&switchovertotheIBMengineering products.Itooktheopportunitytoformanewcompany–ORSES(OptimumReasoning&Smart EngineeringSolutions).OurfocuswasonPTCproducts&servicesandatonetimeweweredoingdetailing foraJohnDeeresubsidiary.Wehadstaffonsite&offshore–inSA,withmyoldcompany.

IcontinuedrunningthiscompanyuntilI ‘retired’circa2016.WorkinCanadawasalot different&verycompetitive.

Ididmanagetobringmyfamilyoverbackin 2000,beingmywifeHeather,mydaughters Olivia,Lisa&mysonRoy,myyoungest.For themtheyhadtoadapttotheschoolsystem& schoolyearhere,whichisfromSeptembertoJune –duetotheweather.Summerholidaysarefrom endofJunetostartofSeptember.

Wereallyliveinaninterestingandverycentral partofCanada,withfourrealseasonsof approximately3monthseach–althoughwinteris thelongest3months.

TodaymyoldestdaughterislivinginSouthernCalifornia,marriedtoaSAguy&has2daughters–myCaliforniagirls.Lisa,my2nddaughter,recentlymarriedaCanadianguy&mysonRoymarrieda Canadiangirl&have3daughters–myCanadiangirls!

Heather&IcurrentlyliveonLakeEerie,oneofthe5greatlakes,inatowncalledPortDover–ona golfcourse.Forabout6monthsoftheyearIplaygolf2or3timesaweek.Istillplaybridge–mostlyonline sinceCovid-19anddominoes–Mexicantrainforthosewhoknowit.

Ihavetriedskiing,nocando,curlingafewtimes,enjoyedthat&alsoluging.Thesummershereare hot&humid,thewinterscanbeextremelycold,butnottoomuchsnowwhereweare.PortDoverishometo thegreatFriday13thmotorbikerallywhenthousandsofpeopledescendonoursmalltown.

So,50yearsonIampleasedtoknowtherearestillanumberofusstillaround,manystillinSAtoo.I dohopethatthefutureforthecivilized(western)worldwillholdout–thingsaregettingprettycrazyall over.Iguesslikeourparentsandtheirsbeforethem,weworry&hopeforagoodfutureforourkids& grandkids.

9.11 DeVallier,Wally

I went to primary schools in Vanderbijlpark, Boksburg and Johannesburg.IspentmyhighschooldaysatJeppeHighSchoolforBoys whereImatriculatedin1969withoutanymajoraccolades.

I did my army training at the Danie Theron Infantry Base in Kimberly.

Aftergraduating,IworkedfortheJohannesburgCityCouncilaspart of my bursary conditions. I worked in the Forward Planning department, underBobStanway,settingupatrafficstudymodelofJohannesburgusing TRAMPmodellingprogramme.InJune1976,Itooka“gapyear”andwent to Europe. I visited family and friends in France, Switzerland, Italy and UK.

In October 1977, I worked on the construction of the Ninian Field CentralOilPlatformfor4months.TheplatformwasanchoredoffthewestcoastofScotland,atthemouthof LochKishorn.

Theplatformstartedpumpingoilinmid-1978,Ibelieve.

Onmyreturn,IworkedfortheWater Branch of the City Council. I was the ProjectManagerfortheimplementationof acomputer-basedtelemetrysystemforthe monitoring of all reservoirs, towers, pumpstation and control devices within thesupplyareaoftheCity.

In 1980 I joined Hill Kaplan Scott ConsultingEngineers,EastLondon.Iwas the Chairman of the Informal Branch of SAICE.

Iworkedonnumerousinfrastructure and commercial projects in East London, KingWilliamsTown,Cathcart,BishoandthegreaterTranskei/Ciskeiareas.

In1985IwastransferredtotheMtataofficeastheCivilDepartmentHeadandwasinvolvedwithdesign and construction monitoring of the Transkei Defence Force Base at Mtata and Port St Johns, township infrastructureforHillcrestandNorwood.

In 1998 I joined HBS Consulting Engineers in Rivonia, Johannesburg. The major project I worked on was Lenasia South Extension 4 and Migson Manor, designing the municipal infrastructure for c. 1100 residentialandcommercialstands.

Itookanothergapyearin2000andtravelledextensivelyinAmerica.

On my return, I joined De Leuw Cather Consulting Engineers and became a director in 2004. I was involved in the design and project management of municipal infrastructure for the 550-stand Doornkop Township, upgrading of the Dobsonville water-, sewer- and stormwater reticulation, design and project management of water-borne sewer reticulation to replace aqua privies in Ivory Park in Johannesburg, design andprojectmanagementoftheMarieLouiseLandfillSiteinDobsonville.ThiscompanywasboughtbyWSP in2005.

I joined KYD Consulting Engineers in 2005 as a director. I was involved in the design and project management of 5 schools in and around Mtata under the DBSA ASIDI programme, the Leralla Station intermodal transportation facilities, upgrading of the South Gauteng High Court by converting Civil CourtroomstoCriminalCourtrooms,conversionoftheSelbyHostelsintofamilyunits.

I joined Malani Padayachee and Associates, now MPAMOT, in 2017 as the Civil Department Head. I wastheprojectmanagerfortheroadupgradestoaccommodatetheHuddleParkShoppingCentre.Idesigned and project of the upgrading of gravel roads to surfaced standards, including stormwater management, in Poortjie,Johannesburg.

In 2024 I was appointed as the Resident Engineer on the Erand Tower Project, situated in Midrand, comprising a pumpstationanda30mhigh,2Mℓwatertower.

I got married to Angie in 1995. Unfortunately, she contracted Lupus a few years ago which we are manging as best we can. We have twosons; Jerad is in London working for AWS and Philippe who is still at home. The photo is of Jared’sthirdbirthday.

9.12 Edmeades,PeterMichael

Iamtheoldestoffourchildren,bornin1953,inBulawayo,whichhasbeen my home base for all of my life. After writing ‘A’ Level in 1971, I headed off to Wits armed with a municipal bursary to commence studies for a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering.

Those four years (‘72 - ‘75 inclusive) were some of the best years of my life - I was in Men’s Res - Dalrymple House; scenes of water fights, raids into MilnerPark(nowtheWitsWestCampus),rugby,girls,drinkingetc…Longbefore Mark Webber drank out of his shoe when winning a grand prix we celebrated our 21stbirthdaysintheRespub(theDev)bydrinkingoutofourveldskoens!

In my final year, I was elected Res Com vice chair and inherited Ken Costa’slavishflatlet,whichoverlookedtheplanetariumandtheM1.

TheYearsAfterGraduation

National Service in Rhodesia then called - our intake in January 1976 was one of the biggest everover1,500youngmen.Around10%ofthatnumberheadedofftotheSchoolofInfantryinGweloforOfficer training - not all made it through, but Iended up as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Corpsof Engineers(Sappers) and ranthefieldtroopdoingminefieldsalongvariousborders.

Inbetweencall-upsandworkingattheBulawayoCityEngineersDept,Imetmywife-to-be,Debbie, whom I married in September 1979. Shortly after, armed with another municipal bursary, we headed to London,whereIattendedImperialCollegetodoM.Sc.EngHydrology,graduatinginSeptember1980.

IreturnedtotheBulawayoCityEngineersDeptandworkedthereonavarietyofprojectsuntilleaving togointotheprivatesectorinlate1984.

Inlate 1985, IjoinedJohnSullivanat hisexpanding business which he wantedtogrowinto thecivil engineeringsectorofconstructionactivity-ourfirstjobwastheconstructionofahighlevelbridge180mlong overtheShanganiRiverandwewentforwardfromthere.

In1989,IdecidedthatIneededtomakemoreuseofmy‘brain’andheadedbackintothedesignfield, joiningalocalone-manconsultancy.Thenextfifteenyearsweregreatfromadiversityofworkpointofview -althoughmyinitialworkexperiencewasinthe‘civil’field,thefocusshiftedtomorestructuraldesignwork -amixtureofstructuralsteeldesignandreinforcedconcretedesign.

In little old Zim, and particularly in Bulawayo, we really had to become ‘jacks of all trades’. I do considermyselftohavebeenparticularlyfortunatehavingenjoyedawiderangeofengineeringexposure. In Bulawayo City Engineers Dept, we had both direct labour units and contracts to manage. Direct labour unitsposedaninterestingdilemma -ifworkwasn’tasper the designer’s intention, the costof remedyhadto be bornebythe City-thishelpedfine tuneto whatextent exact compliance withthedesigner’s specification wasessential.

I don’t mean to sound glib or blase, but if I see a young engineer/technician jump into a reinforced concretestructuretoinspectreinforcementwithatapeinhishand,preciselymeasuringbarcentres,Idespair! Agoodcompetentcolleagueoncetoldmethatifrebarisneatandtidyandlooksgood,itprobablyisgood. Having worked on all sides of the industry - local authority, contracting and consulting - I really do fully appreciate the need to be a practical engineer. How many times has a contractor looked at a mass of reinforcementinthebeamandwonderedhowthehellhewasgoingtogettheconcretein,letalonethepoker vibrator!

I clearly remember with gratitude, one of our structural steel design lecturers (Mr Maltz), who often said….‘theCodesays,butMaltzsays…’Sound‘EngineeringJudgement’issoimportantandmyworkprofile has(Ibelieve)helpedmetodevelopthis,atleasttoanextent.

TheLaterYears(Whennormalpeoplehaveretired)

Two events in Zimbabwe radically changed my work direction and experience - both in February 2020:CovidandCycloneIdai.

- Not much needs to be said about Covid [China Flu said a certain president:)], but Zim went intoacompletelock-downinMarch2020,whichaffectedmanybusinessesdisastrously.

- CycloneIdaihungaroundcentralMozambiqueforoveraweekinFebruary,beingrecharged from the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel and just sitting motionless dumping tonnes of water.

The easternhighlandsof Zim - Chimanimani (formerly Melsetter) - wasoneof the worstaffected areas.Afteremergencyworks,financiallysponsoredbyEconet(Zim)tothetuneofaroundR150m, to re-establish road links, out of over a dozen construction companies initially involved, three contractorsweresubsequentlyidentifiedtoworkindifferentsectorsonadesignandconstructbasis. I was fortunate enough to be involved with two of the selected contractors - J R Goddard and Bitumen World. My rolewasmainlythedesignofreplacementbridges-allinall, over a period of a few years, nine bridges were done by the twocontractors.

In the recent past, I have continued to work mainly with these two contractors on various ‘design and construct’ projects, so much so that at the ripe old age of nearly 72yrs, I have never been so busy or enjoyedmyvocationsomuch!

Family&SocialLife

Victoria Falls Bridge Bracing struts added to confirm another 100 years of safe operating life

Debbie and I have five sons, who are now all over - all married and all but one (Paul, the youngest, onlyrecentlymarried)withchildren.

Daniel (Quantity Surveyor, in Perth), Nicholas (Building Services Engineer with the British Royal Engineers),David(Geologist,inAustralia),Gregory(B.Com,inUSA,workinginSupplies)andPaul(B.Com InvestmentManagement,inPretoria).

IwasaRoundTablerforabout10yearsallboysseemtohaveachildhooddreamtoeither be a fireman or a train driver. The (only) reason I joined Bulawayo Table 3 was to drive the miniature railway in the park - a lively steam enginemanufacturedin1962byPietermaritzburg Engineering. Of course there was much more to beingaTablerandDebbieandIgottovisitmany partsoftheworldduringthoseyears.

After Round Table, I was invited to join Rotary(BulawayoSouth),doingthe usual Rotary typeprojectsandactivities.

Nodoubtbecause ofhavingfive sons,all of whom went to the same senior school that I attended (Christian Brothers College), I found myselfservingontheParentTeacherBody,which led to being on the Board, eventually as Board Chair.Beinginvolvedasitwere,onthesidelinesofeducation,wasaninterestingandrewardingexperienceDebbiealsohappensto beanArt teacher,havingtaughtatCBCforthelast17years.Priortothat,shetaught atanumberofprimaryschools.

Religion is important in my life too - and the twilight years provide ample time for reflection! As a practising Catholic, I still remember in my Wits days attending the Church at the south eastern corner of the campus, where the priest - Fr Myerscough - mentioned that life is a spiral, and we should, when reviewing annuallyaroundEaster,strivetobegoingupwardsandnotback-sliding!

Asafinalthought,Iconsidermyselftohavebeenveryfortunate-goodwifeandfamily,goodfriends, agoodWitseducationandanenjoyableandrewardingcareerinengineering.

9.13 Gibbons,Francis

I seem to be part of the minority in our class who remained in engineering throughout my career – in fact, I am again working full time. What does that mean? Perhaps I am risk averse, because I effectively stayed in thesamecompanyforthewholetimeuntilIretiredfrom themaged67inSeptember2020–theyearofCOVID.

Buttherehavealwaysbeenopportunitieswithinthe company – I became a partner in 1994 and experienced theclassicconflictofbeingamanagerversusatechnical specialist, though I always chose the former, but managingtokeepsomeinvolvementinprojects.

I joined Scott and De Waal on graduating and had barely started work when the SA military activities alongtheNamibia/AngolaborderweresteppedupandIgotcalledupforathree-monthcamp.Thisprompted meto enrolfor myMSc(Eng) part-time atWITSasthis wouldthengetme outofthesecamps. Fellow‘75er FrancoisvanAswegenalsosignedupfortheGDE.

ProfsMidgleyandSchwartzandourSwisslecturerinhydraulics,HeinzWeisshadinstilledinmealove ofwaterengineeringandsoIwasassignedtothewaterdepartmentatScottandDeWaal,supposedlytomove tothestructuresdepartmentaftersixmonthsorso,butthatneverhappened–Iremainedinwaterengineering tillnow.

AfterthreeyearsI decidedtotake a year’ssabbatical and travelthe world –well at least the America’s and Europe for starters. This precipitated an offer from the company for me to study at the International Institutefor Hydraulic EngineeringinDelft,TheNetherlands,anofferthatIwashappytoaccept,althoughit cutshortmytravelscommensurately.IcompletedtheDiplomainHydraulicEngineeringwithDistinctionafter amostenjoyableyearintheNetherlandsandreturnedtoSAattheendof1980.

Ihad met my wife-to-be prior tomy travels, and we got back together onmy return and got married in 1981. Unfortunately, we did not have any kids and ended up divorcing in 2004. I remarried in October 2005 and acquired an instant family with three stepsons, which was tremendous - I had crew for a small keelboat racerwhichweracedonVaaldamformanyyears!

Therewerethreesignificantcorporatemergers,whichplayedapartintheshapingofmycareer,thefirst beingthemergerbetweenScottandDeWaalandStewartSviridovandOliver(SS&O)in1990toformStewart Scott, later just called SSI. SS&O were quite a powerhouse in the water field with their water resources modelling unit headed by Dr Bill Pitman and Dr Chris Herold, and Erlyn Snell heading up the water engineeringunit,andthesizeoftheprojectsIwasinvolvedinincreaseddramatically.

The second corporate event was when we sold a portion of the business to a large Dutch based international consultancy,DHV,givingusaccesstomuchwidermarkets andofcoursetheformidable Dutch expertise in the water field. DHV was to grow its stake gradually in the company until in 2005 when they boughttheshareholdersout.

Thethirdmergerwasin2012betweenDHVandanothermajorDutchconsultancy,RoyalHaskoning,to form “Royal Haskoning DHV” (very imaginative, but they did not want to lose the “Royal” designation awardedtoprestigiousDutchcompaniesolderthan100years.)

I specialised in the engineering and project management of bulk water supply and wastewater schemes. SomeofthemajorprojectsweundertookwhileIwasleadingthebusinessunitWateratSSIincluded: • the1,300MW BraamhoekPumpedStorage Scheme(whichreceivedbothCESAandSAICEawards fortechnicalexcellenceseparatelyforBedforddamandfortheschemeasawhole),

• the Lake Lanirano salinity-excluding weir in Madagascar (CESA award for best foreign project) for RioTinto

• the Disi Mudawwara to Amman Water Conveyance Scheme in Jordan, as consultant to the joint venture including Rand Water and Group 5 who were one of two bidders for the design-build finance operateandtransfertender.ThemaincontractorwasbasedinCyprus,sothepreparationofoursubmission involvedsomegreatvisitsthere.JohnLotz(classof’76)wastheleadoftheGroup5team.

• theLakeElAssadtoDamascusWater Supply SchemeinSyria–wasa differentplaceinthose days, tightlycontrolledbytheAl-Assadregime.

• theThukelaMhlathuzeRiverEmergencyTransferScheme,

• MohaleDaminLesotho(CESAandSAICEawardsfortechnicalexcellence), theSAICEaward-winningrehabilitationoftheShongweniDamusingHydroplusFusegates. Two of the ten fusegates tipped off (as they were supposed to!) in the flood in the Umlaas river a couple of yearsago. It was found thatthe owner of the dam hadsold offthetwospareunassembledfusegatesforscrap.

After the formation of Royal Haskoning DHV in 2012,IjoinedthemanagementoftheWaterbusinesslineas TechnicalDirectorandhadagreatfouryearsinvolvedinour waterprojectsinternationally,includinginIndia,China and Indonesia.

Duringthelastfour yearsbefore Iretired,Iwasthe Project Excellence Manager for the Business Lines Water and South Africa (2019-2020), responsible for ensuring excellence in project and contract management throughout the business line and resolving contractual issues wherever thesearose.

ExtracurriculaactivitiesincludedtheSAICEWaterEngineeringDivision(WED)Committee,which Ijoinedin2001andam still amember of,wastreasurerfrom2006to 2010,andthenchairmanfrom2012to 2013.IwasveryhonouredtoreceiveanHonoraryFellowAwardofSAICEin2022.

I am also still involved with the CESA Supply Chain Management as a Committee member and the CESAQuality,RiskandSustainabilityCommittee.

IalsoservedasthechairmanoftheIndustryAdvisoryBoardfortheSchoolofCivilandEnvironmental EngineeringattheWITSfrom2017to2020.

I played a lot of squash (best was Jo’burg 10th league I think!) from graduating till I decided it was negativelyimpactingmygolf,whichIeventuallytookupin1990.Needlesstosaythatmadenodifferenceto mygolf,butIremainahappyhackertothisday!

So, inclosing,civilengineeringhasbeenanextremelyrewardingcareer for me,andthatisthereasonI amstilldoingit!

9.14 Giles,Evan

Howtosummarisemycareerasacivilengineer?I’ll borrowa refrainfromanoldEaglessong: “Life’s been good to me so far!”

In fact, life has been very good. I’ve never regretted choosing Wits andbeingacceptedforundergraduatestudies.EventhoughattimesI chewed chalk because we were surelythe last engineering school to allow non-programmable calculators (the old HP 35 reverse Polish notationmasterpiece).Andzeroelectivesthroughoutalltheyears.

However,PappyJenningsaffirmedinoneoftheEngineering Practicetalkathonsthatweshouldtrustourtutors–thatwewouldin time find that they had inculcated an ability to think clearly and to judgesoundlyand,downtheroad,Iassentedwithasmile:theyhad. AbursaryfromthethenSouthAfricanRailwaysmeantafixedchoice ofemployerongraduation,andIenjoyed18yearsthere-albeitwith anumberofnamechanges-endingupasDirector(Geotechnical)inProtekon(longdefunct).

Whilst completing an 18-month stint on construction as part of PrEng training, I worked on the Vereeniging–Fochville–Potchefstroomdoublingproject.Ifulfilledabucket-listitem-I‘drove’aClass15F steam engine from Fochville to Vereeniging. Green light, tug at the steam regulator to no avail. Get solidly behinditanddoatwo-hand grunty pull.Nada,nix,nothing.Afterthecrewhaveenjoyedtheirlaugh,thedriver steps over and with an effortless one-hand action gets the steam flowing and I can take over. Do I need to explainwhyyoutrainasastokershovellingcoal?IgethomeandIsaytoLyndsay,mywife “Youwillnever guesswhatIdidtoday!!”Shedoesnotbataneyelidandresponds,“Youdroveasteamengine.”Alookinthe bathroommirrorrevealedwhyshejustknew.

Those years were part of the ‘glory years’ of rail in South Africa, inter alia, doubling the Coal Line from Ermelo and Richards Bay; a new line from Thabazimbi to Ellisras; construction of the Central Marshalling Yard plus its link lines east of Johannesburg; new wharves at the Port of Richards Bay; realignmentofpartsoftheinlandmainlinefromCapeTown,includingthe10kmlongHeksTunnelbetween DeDoornandKleinstraat.Tunnelsandtunnellingalmost became a staple diet– Igainedmyrockmechanics nous conducting geotechnical investigations for 15 tunnels, building geotechnical models, apportioning risk anddevelopingconcepttemporarysupport systemsforasequenceofprobablerockconditionsandproviding constructioninput.

InOctober1978Spoornetseta(stillheld)worldrecordof245km/hrona1067mm(3’6”)gaugetrack between Westonaria and Midway in preparation for the Pretoria-Johannesburg Metro Blitz which ran at 185km/hrbetweenIreneandBirchleighoverits1-yearlife.Myinputonthehigh-speedrailventurewassafety assurance along the dolomitic ground between Littleton and Birchleigh, and the Far West Rand test track. I enjoyed10yearsservingontheSpoornetHeavyHaulCommitteewheremyinputwasonthetrackformation. Interacting with (now deceased) Prof Ernst Selig from the Massachusetts State University, who enjoyed a sabbaticalwithUniversityPretoriaandSpoornet,wasahighlight.

My taking up the reins of Geotechnical Services in Transnet coincided with an organisation-wide downsizing exercise, with planned capital works shrinking from (circa1990) rand 2Bn to R100m. It was a difficultperiod.AnindeliblememoryisaworkcompanionwithwhomIplayedratherpoor,butexercise-rich tenniseachSaturdaymorningat07h00.Heterminatedthearrangementonfindingthathispositionwasmade ‘personal-to-holder’,inotherwords,itwouldceasewhenheretired.Hetookitpersonally,neverspoketome again.

In 1993 I left and joined Knight Hall Hendry as manager/partner of the Sandton office. I took over fromBrianHall(deceased)whoemigratedtoCanada.LittledidIthinkthatIwouldinturnleaveSouthAfrica threeyearslater.

I arrived in New Zealand in late February 1997, joining Woodward Clyde. A month later I attended my first NZGeotechnical Societyevent. Nursing aglass ofsomething, Imade smalltalkwith anotherlonely gentleman. My heart was lanced by the realisation that were I in Jo’burg I would have known 80+% of the audienceandbeenknowntothem.Instead,Iknewabsolutelynobody.Itwasaverysoberingreality.

However, as anyone who has participated in a SWOT analysis knows, where there are threats, there are always opportunities. New environment, new geology rejuvenated my core love and learning local conditionsandpracticeswaspleasurablehardwork.

Twoblinksandabeerlaterand27yearshavepassedandinSeptemberlastyearIdeclaredTIME.My time now. I worked much with volcanic materials, publishing on their many vagaries. I was invited by the AustralianTunnellingSocietytoestablishaNZChapterin2005.Theventurewassuccessfulandin2011the first ANZ Tunnel Conference was held in Auckland. I joined WSP in 2011to be part of the consortium executingthetwinbore3-laneWaterviewTunnelProject.Acrowningjewelinmycareerwasbeingaskedin June2017tohelpwithaproblemembankmentontheToowoombaSecondRangeCrossingproject,Australia. It is under litigation so only a brief outline can be given. A sidelong embankment, some 500m long, toe-to-crest height~70mmovedalong arelic deep-seatedshearzone~35m bgl whenthebankreachedabout 90% full height.Major remediationwasrequired.Myinitial2–3-dayvisitinJuly2016,grewtoan18month involvement.Theroadhasbeenoperationalforsomesevenyearsnow.

Acolleague pressedmeregardingmynotbeinga FellowofEngineeringNZandIeventuallygotthe paperworktogetherandsubmittedit.Itwassuccessful,andIwasinductedasaFellowinMarch2023.Itisan honourofwhichIamhighlyappreciative.

Backto“mytime now”.LyndsayandIhavethreegrandchildren.Lewellyn,our eldesthasa7-yr old son, Arlo, and a 4-yer old daughter, Kyrah. Vaughan has a 2.5-year-old daughter, Juniper. Do we dote over them?Gofigure.

Iloved workingwith youth and am still Facebookfriends with 8-10 ex-kidsfromour SA churchyouth days. Currently I teach an ESOL (English Second Language) class to 8-12 people from the Middle East, Vietnam, the Philippines, Korea and China at my local church. Using the bible for comprehension exercises andencouragingdiscoursewhiletryingtoexplainthenuances ofidioms andsharingquotesandhavingthem share some gems from their languages is somewhat removed from my core skills but I find the preparation, andthe2-hoursession(includingateabreak)bothexhaustingandinvigorating;Iwillnotbegivingupsoon!

9.15 Goldberg,JeffreyD.

I attended King Edward School in Johannesburg and matriculatedFirstClassin1970.

I then completed National Service in 1971 at the School of Signals. During this time represented the Army and Defence Force teamsinKarate.

IthenwentontostudyBScCivilEngineeringfrom1972and graduated in 1975. During that period I served as the Vice Chairman oftheWitsRagCommittee.

On graduatingI went ontoworkfor Ove Arupfortwoyears. During my time at Ove Arup the Soweto Riots started which led to many project cancellations. I resigned after two years and travelled Overseas before studying for my MBAat WITS. When I graduated, I joined the Greatermans Group (which owned Checkers) where I workedonvariousprojectsfortheFinancialDirector.

IthenmovedontoworkasCorporatePlanningManagerforMetroCash.Theyhadjustlosttheirtop team who were opening in opposition. Again, I carried out various projects including a long term planning model which showed that they would go out of business due to the larger retail groups expanding into the townships.Thisprovedtobetrue….bothforMetroCashandtheiropposition.

IleftMetroCashin1984tobuildupmyownbusinessandeventuallyboughtintoasmallwholesaler ofhousewareproductstotheretailtrade.ThiswasjustbeforethecollapseoftheRand,andallofourproduct was imported! We had nochoice but to struggle through all of this. Over the next few years we managed to surviveandgrowthebusinessthroughacquisitionandorganicexpansion.

After a few we sold the business into a public company where we became directors and a few years later the whole company was sold from the stock market into a private equity group. I retired in 2008 which wasmuchtooearly!

I retained friendships with Ray Klawansky and Dave Balkin. In fact, a few years ago Dave came back to visit South Africa. We visited the campus including the HillmanBuilding. By the following week there was a demonstration on campus which was only reopened a few weeks later. We had gotten in andoutjustintime.

I am now married with three children who live in the AmericasandAustralia.Ialsohave2grandchildren.

Itrytokeepfit dailybasisandalsoplaygolf whenever Ican.Myfavouritepastimeistobeoutintheopenwithfriends andfamily.

By now I should be the honorary mayor of the Drakensberg!!!

9.16 Durham,Arthur

 DOB:28/02/1951

 WorkStarted:Nov-75

 Professionalachievements

BScCivildegree

MSAICE,PrEng

BCommdegree

B Eng GeoTech Hons degree

MICE,CEng(resigned2019)

Publications

ICESA‘JohnBrown’awardforpaperofthe year,presentedatIHHAconference-1997 Track Maintenance Resource Requirements (International Heavy Haul Association 1991. Case Study:TheCoallineW/RInteractionStrategyIHHA 1997

Definition of W/R interaction Problems IHHA1999

OperationalApproaches&AppliedTechnologiesofLeadingHHRailFreightBusinesses2003 WholeLifeConsiderationsforTrackInfrastructure(2010,unpublished)

Employment

SouthAfricanRailwaysandHarbours

1975-1980AssistantCivilEngineer:traininginpermanentwaymaintenance,structuraldesignofRC and steel, administration, supervision, surveying, QA in construction of earthworks, drainage, trackwork, buildingsetc

1981-1984: District Civil Engineer: responsible for the doubling, upgrading and commissioning of 100kms of the coal line. Areas of responsibility included design, tender adjudication and administration, contract supervision of earthworks, slab track, drainage, tunnelling, concrete bridgeworks, Permanent Way andmaintenancedepots

1985-2000:AdvisoryEngineer,COALLinkline

RelocatedtotheUnitedKingdom

2001-2016:Atkins–UK

2017-2019:SNCL-AtkinsUK

9.17 Gollino,Renato

Bursaries&Qualifications

 QualifiedforabursarywithTheron,Burke& Isaac,ConsultingEngineers.

NDTEng.(Civil)1973

 QualifiedforabursarywithGillisMason Constructionin1974andstudiedatWitsUniversity3rd and4th yearB.Sc.Eng.(Civil)coursesforregistration asaProfessionalEngineerwithECSA.

 PrEng.(Reg.no790281)

 FSAICE

Influenceonmystudies:

 Inlate1972IwenttoseeProfJereJenningsat Wits.HeadvisedmeatthetimethatIshouldabandon theNDT(Civ.Eng.)courseandpursuethedegree course.ItwasachallengingdecisiontomakebecauseI hadabursaryandthatIwouldhavetostartallover again.

 Afterextensiveconsultationswithmy employerandSACPE(nowECSA),ImanagedtoseeProfGeoffBlightinearly1973atWits.(Prof JereJenningswasunavailableatthetime).

 HeencouragedmetocompletetheNDT(Civ.Eng.)courseandinspiredmetocontinuewith mystudiesandpursuePr.EngstatusaspresentedbySACPE.

 IwasimpressedandchoseWitsbecausetheProfessorsandlecturerswereworldclass.

Experience&Awards

 Design&detailingofroadsandbridgesfortheNationalDiploma(4yearcourse)

 SiteEngineerMatlaPowerStationforESKOMunits1,2&3.Highlightwasslip-forming constructionoftheboilerhouses.

 SiteAgentKaalfontein-Olifantsfonteinrailwayinterchange.Highlightwastheconstruction ofnumerousmajorpost-tensionedbridgesoverlivefreewaytraffic.

 Design,detailingandconstructionofownhouseinBedfordview.

 SiteAgentUncleCharliesInterchange,WinchesterHillsandMartinusSmutsbridgeswith VanBuurenroadbridgejacking.ObtainedinvaluableinputfromProfessorsGeoffBlightandMark AlexanderatWitsinresolvingchallengingproblems.IwasinstrumentalinbringingabouttheSAICE GoldMedalawardin1985forUncleCharlie’sInterchange.TheProjectDirectorwastherecipientof theaward.

 ConstructionManagernewRandRefineryGermiston.

 SeniorSiteAgentN1andN3tollroadscomprisingmultiplebridges.

 SeniorSiteAgentGeldenhuisinterchangebridgejacking.Deckswerepulledwithajoke (pullingstick)onsteelgirdersoverM2motorway.Notrafficdisruption.

 SeniorSiteAgentTomJonesjackingofarailbridgeinone24-houroccupation.SAICE regionalawardwasgivenin1992.

 ResidentEngineerlowcrossingbridgeovertheCaledonRiver110mlong.Hydrology designinputandsitevisitsbyProf.DesmondMidgleyfromWits.

 ConstructionManagerSouthDeepGoldMineinfrastructure.Thetwoconcreteheadgears wereconstructedusingslip-formtechnique.Themainshaftheadgearwas93mhighabovebankwith drumwindersatbanklevel.

 CivilEngineerAlusafHillsideSmelterconstructionoftwoverylargealuminaposttensionedconcretesilosandtwosmallercokingcoalconcretesilosusingslip-formtechnique.

 ResidentEngineerPhalaboraMiningCoforconstructionofallinfrastructureincluding undergroundworks.Thetwoconcreteheadgearswereconstructedusingslip-formtechnique.The

mainshaftheadgearwas105mhighabovebankwithKoepewinderhouseattopofheadgear.The challengewas

 thedoublecantileverconstructionofthewinderhouse,whichlookedlikeahammerhead. ThecontactorreceivedtheFultonConcreteAward.

 ResidentEngineerImpala16shaftforslip-formconstructionofconcreteheadgear110m highabovebank.ContractorreceivedtheFultonConcreteaward.

 ConstructionManagementofnumerousmajorminingprojectsforAngloPlatinum,Anglo GoldAshantiandGoldfields.

 EstablishedPivotMiningDesign.Focusedontemporaryworksdesignerandgeneraldesign work.LegalappointmentsandcompliancewithMH&SAandOH&SA.Tenureforsome5years.

 ConstructionManagerGamsbergMiningProjectNorthernCape.Thechallengewasthe constructionofa25mhighconcretestructureforROMcrusher.

 ConstructionManagerIvanplatsMokopaneforslip-formconstructionofconcreteheadgear 102mhighabovebank.

 MentoredanumberofCandidateEngineersforPrEng,registrationduringcareer.

 BasicprinciplethatProf.JereJenningsemphasizedonengineeringjudgement,whichis qualifications,experienceandcommonsense,willalwaysapply.

 Retiredfromindustryin2023.

 Geotechnicalinvestigation,engineeringdesign,andconstructionmanagementforretirement simplexinSomersetWest.WehaverecentlyretiredtoSomersetWest.

9.18 Haigh,Rowell

WorkExperience:

 DLWebbandAssociates

JuniorEngineer–Durban1976 -1980:



SiteEngineer: RichardsBayHeavyMinerals,SasolII

GrinakerConstruction

ConstructionManager–Durban1980–1987

Sea Cow Lake Sewage Treatment Works, Special Projects (SmallProjects) -Durban

SimumaRailLine–Bridges-PortShepstone



Swinerton&Walberg(NowSwinertonBuilders)

ProjectEngineertoProjectExecutive-SanFrancisco1987–1997:

Project Manager (Construction Manager in SA) multiple prisons-$20Mto$70MCalifornia–1987-1991

Project Manager - Oil refinery shutdowns, $10M in 14 days. Plus oil refineries. – 1991 to 1994

AirForceAcademy35,000sqmneweducationfacility–ColoradoSprings–Colorado1994 to1996

Sun Microsystems $100M New campus Boulder – Colorado – 1996 to 1997 – started the projectthenleftdueto2hrcommute.



NunnConstruction

ProjectExecutive–1997–2002–ColoradoSprings,Colorado: Multipleschools,churches,industrialprojectsrangingfrom$1Mto$9M



HaighConstruction

President/CEO–2002–2025–ColoradoSprings,Colorado:

Medical,Industrial,retailprojectsrangingfrom$1Mto$10Minsize

Awards/Achievements:

PrEng. Licensein1983

SACPE1983toapprox.1994

DidnotlicenseintheUSAduetoliabilitybeinginconstructionandnotworkingasaPrEng

Multiplesafetyawards

Pilotslicense1976

Hobbies:

Skiing,flyingradiocontroljets,pilot.

Family:

Marriedfor15years,twowonderfulchildren,Wes39andTaryn35,divorced,withagreatpartner.

MyJourney:

IhavefondmemoriesofmytimeatWits;especiallythehockeyclubonSaturdayevenings.

Thenamesofthoseofyouthatarestillaround,areveryfamiliarand,likeme,haveprobablychanged inappearancebutnotcharacter.

To those that had spunk and caused the laughs in class, thank you. It taught me that there is always funtobehad,evenindifficultsituations.

In 1983 Grinaker gave me 3 months to travel literally around the world and learn how the world monitors construction projects with regard to productivity and accounting, using mainframe computers. I travelledtotheUSAcovering10states,Hawaii,Fiji(Holiday),Australia(SydneyandBrisbane),HongKong (BankofHongKongBuilding).BroughtbackloadsofdatasoasystemthatworksinSAcouldbeprogrammed onthenew“Peanut”todaysPC.

In1986 Iwas caught up in the middle of a riot in Natal and very lucky to survive.Marriedwith a 1year-oldson,Ifelt itsafesttoleave SAasIwasseeingarepeatof Rhodesia whereIspentthefirst 8yearsof mylife.Fortunately,IhadmettheVicePresidentofSwinertonBuildersatStanfordin1983duringmyworld tour.

IcalledSwinertonandwasofferedajob.Theyorganizedeverythingasfarasvisasetcandfortunately IhadmyPrEng,withoutwhich,IcouldnothavecometotheUSA.

Starting my own company was the best thing I’ve done. Enjoyed every minute of it. Could not have doneitthoughwithoutthesupportofwonderfulclients,staffandsubcontractorsinColoradoSprings.

Looking forward to our facetimecall.

9.19 Haupt,Frank

After graduating with a BSc Civ Eng in 1975 at Wits I joined the CSIR as I had bursary obligations. I obtained a BSc Hons from Tuks in 1978andcompletedaMScCivEngunderProfBlightin1980. ThatwasalsotheyearIregisteredasaPrEng.

Bythattime,Ihadaboyandagirl,andthegovernmentpaymade itclearIhadtojointheconsultingfraternityifIhadanyhopeoffinancing tertiaryeducationforthebuddingfamily.

I continued my journey with the East Rand Development Board, thinking that building a strong network would help me contribute to improving infrastructure in the in the less developed areas of our country. Although Iwas there for just two years, the experience Igained provedto beincrediblyvaluablewhenIlaterjoinedamid-sizedconsultancyinPretoriain1982.

AftertwoyearsIteamedupwiththreeotherengineerswhohadstartedtheirownconsultancyfocused onstructures,andIstartedthecivildepartment.Inourfirstyear,wewerefortunateenoughtobecommissioned to design and put out to tender a nearly 20km railway line connecting Forfar Station to the new Ekandustria industrial area.Thisprojectmarkedour first stepsintocomputeriseddesignwhenwebeganusingthe SKOK CAD100 system—well ahead of the AutoCAD era. With our HP9845 desktop computer and later an HP A1 Plotter,wewereearlyadoptersofcomputeriseddesignanddrawingtechnologies,whichallowedustohandle largerassignmentswithaleanteamasthelargerconsultancieswerelessagileinadoptingthenewtechnology.

Around that time, I also explored other pursuits in the misguided attempt to supplement my income andfeedmyinterestsinaviationandsportscars.

IboughtmyfirstPorschein1994-asecond-hand1984,911Turbo(930)–anditremainsacherished classic. Not only did it brighten my days, but over time, it also turned out to be a lucky investment, having increasedinvalueabouttenfold.

Later, I had the unique opportunity to acquire the first imported 996 (another 911 Turbo) in South Africa. This remarkable car garnered significant attention, even earning a front-page feature in the January 2001issueofCARmagazineafterbeingtestedasthefirstCARmagazinetestedcartoexceed300km/hr.

Around the same time, I ventured into the air charter business by purchasing a Piper Chieftain. Enteringsucha competitive field, where evenminor missteps could be costly, was undoubtedly challenging. Determined to forge ahead, I eventually partnered with Naturelink to acquire an Embraer Bandeirante - a remarkableaircraftpoweredbytwoPT6turbines.

At that period, with the Rand at approximately R7 per USD and on a downward trend, we expanded bypurchasingtwoadditionalBandeiranteaircraftinanticipationoffurthercurrencydepreciation.Ourstrategy evencaughttheeyeofSAFlyermagazine,whichfeaturedoneofouraircraftonitsfrontpageintheFebruary 2002 edition. During this time, the depreciation of the Rand helped our West African USD-denominated chartercontractsyieldstrongprofitswhenconvertedtoRandandIwasdreamingofearlyretirement.

However, a sudden reversal in the currency market—where the Rand strengthened from nearly R12 to R7 per USD—dramatically impacted our Rand income. Despite our best efforts to weather the storm, this shifteventuallyoverwhelmedmyresources,andIlostallthreeBandeiranteaircraft.Thatexperienceimparted aninvaluablelesson:neverrelytooheavilyonfavourableexchangerateswithoutthoroughriskmanagement. This journey, with its triumphs and setbacks, has not only taught me the value of resilience but also the importanceofadaptingtoever-changingmarketconditions.

Afterthenearcollapseofmyfinancesfollowingtheaircharterproject,Ipurchasedasmallcitrusfarm inanefforttorebuild.However,Iquicklylearnedthatmanagingafarmonweekendswasfarmorechallenging than I had anticipated. I then collaborated with the Citrus Exchange on a project to design and patent a collapsiblecratewithatwo-wayentrypallet,intendedtooptimizethetransportationofexportfruitstocentral pack houses. Unfortunately, changes in government policy—specifically, the deregulation of the citrus industry—allowed farmers to pack their produce onsite, which ultimately rendered the innovative design obsolete.

In another venture, when Pepsi was no longer available in South Africa, I began importing it from Namibia with the hope of establishing a local market robust enough to persuade Pepsi to restart bottling operations in the country. However, their requirement for a majority of black stakeholders proved to be a significantbarriertotheventure,andthistoodidnotsucceedasplanned.

While these experiences were accompanied by considerable financial setbacks, they were invaluable inshapingmyunderstandingthatoneshouldsticktoyourcorecompetencies.

As I neared my 50s, I recognized the potential of tourism as a key driver for South Africa’s future. Motivatedbythisvision,IacquiredtwosmallfarmsnearNature’sValleyandtransformedthemintoaboutique hotel. My son managed the establishment with dedication for several years, and although a combination of unforeseenchallengeseventuallyledusto cease operations,the experienceremainsa valuablechapterinmy personalandprofessionaljourney.

Afterexperiencingseveralsetbacks,Ieventuallycametounderstandthathardworkwasthetruepath to success. Idecided to refocus on my consultancy, setting aside the less critical venturesthat only promised short-termgains. Idedicated myself wholeheartedly togrowing the consultancyuntil I eventually soldit to a publiclylistedcompany.

Followingthatmilestone,Irelocatedto Hermanus,eagertoembrace amorerelaxedphase oflife.I,for example, embarked on an unforgettable micro-light journey around the circumference of South Africa with someclosefriends—hereareafewsnapshotsfromthatadventure.

9.20 Horngren,KurtO.

Kurt Olof Horngren, was born on 08 Sept 1952, in Johannesburg of immigrants from Sweden. Married to Maria Morris in the December of 1974. Yes, at the end of our 3rd year!Wehave5Childrenand4Grandchildren.

I grew up living on a 1-acre property in Ferndale Ridge inanareathatbecametheRandburgoftoday.

Iwas the eldest of 6 children the last of which was born when I was 17 years old and serving in The Special Services BattalioninBloemfontein.

PrimaryschooleducationwasattheBlairgowriePrimaryschoolandIMatriculatedfromGreensideHigh twomonthsaftermy17thBirthday;6monthslaterIwasplayingwargamesinTempi–Bloemfontein. I had my licence to drive a 50-ton Centurion Tank when I was 17, and not old enough to get a civilian driver’slicence!

In1972IenrolledatWits.InDecember1974MariaandIweremarriedandourfirstson,Lars,wasborn in the early hours of the morning of 24 July 1975; it so happened that this was the day of our Final Survey Exam.Whatawaytorememberthedateofafinalexam.

Having been fortunate enough to have been awarded a study bursary from Dorman & Long for my undergraduatestudiesatWits,itwastimetojointhemandstartworkingforaliving.

However,IimmediatelyenrolledandcompletedaGDE(GraduateDiplomainEngineering)in1978.By June1979IwasregisteredasaProfessionalEngineer.

It was now time to gain appropriate experience in Reinforced concrete construction, and I joined H2O (Hawkins Hawkins & Osborn) Consulting Engineers engaged in the design of Bridges in mid-1979, Whilst with H2O I designed one of the First Steel LaunchingGirders for an incrementally launched concrete bridge overtheMweneRiver.

In August 1980 I joined the SAISC (South African Institute of Steel Construction) as a Development Engineer. Early in 1981 I became the Director of what was a very Active Technical Promotional Institute promotingtheuseofstructuralsteelinconstruction.

In1987wePublishedthe“RedBook”aSteelconstructionhandbookofseveralhundredpages.

Having,designedandbuiltmy ownhomeona2,5HapropertyinDouglasdaleintheFourwaysarea.It wasanaturalprogressiontobecomeinvolvedinpropertydevelopment.

In July 1998 Frank Haupt and his son Cornelius, I and my daughter Nicole and several others climbed MountKilimanjaro.

InMay1999IresignedasDirectoroftheSAISCandbecameafull-timepropertydeveloper. IservedontheBoardofManagementoftheDainfernGolfEstatefortwoyearsandaschairmanforoneyear.

In2004wemovedtothePrince’sGrantGolfEstate,whichpresentednewstructuralchallengeswhen buildinghomesonwhatislittlemorethanforestedsanddunes.Thechallengewastodesignafoundationthat couldbe constructedbygeneral homebuildingconstructionteams,without the needto useun-reliable Piling Contractors.

As a result, I developed a Closed Cell Cellular Raft. The CCC raft whilst fairly labour intensive, employsnoskillsetsthatarenotpartofusualhomeconstructionprojects.

Thematerialsarealsoveryfamiliartosuchconstructionteams.Stockbricks,PVCsheeting,25MPA concrete,meshreinforcementandbrickforce.

9.21 Kerst,Errol

After matriculating in 1970 at Marist Brothers Observatory in Johannesburg I did my 9 months compulsory military service in the State Presidents Guard during 1971. Thereafter I proceeded to Wits to study for the BSc Civil Engineering degree. On graduating I transferred to a Sapper Unit–6th FieldSquadron.

Employment

I worked for several consulting firms including BKS, Anglo American Civil Dept and DVVM, where I rose through the ranks, before joiningJones&Wagenerin1986asaseniorengineer.

While working at Anglo American I did a GDE at Wits and then convertedittoanMScEngin1988.Thisinterestinallthingswaterresulted from time spent in the fieldwith Prof Midgley when he did workfor Anglo AmericanatOrapaMine,Botswana.

In1987J&WsentmetoSecundawhereIstartedupabranchofficeandbecameanAssociate.In1997 IjoinedupwiththenewfirmLBEinSecundaasthecivilengineeringdirectorwhereIremaineduntilretiring in2015.

For most of my career I was involved with township development, mine infrastructure (from earthworks, access roads, water and sewerage pipelines and treatment plants, pollution control and hard standings) and industrial type projects such as heavy floors to heavy concrete roads. Although many of the projects were on the Highveld I did however work on projects in Natal, the Orange Free State and Northern CapewithsomeworkinBotswana,Lesotho,Namibia,MozambiqueandDjibouti.

For the period 2019 to 2022 I served on the Audit Committee of the Department of Public Works& Infrastructure.

Significantprojects

SignificantprojectsIworkedonincludedUncleCharlie’sInterchange,TheNewJerseybarrieronthe S12 towards JohannesburgAirport(first one in South Africa),major infrastructure forvarious Eskom Power Stations (Kriel & Tutuka and later Medupi and Kusile) as well as numerous new shaft projects for Sasol Mining. The project thatinitially took the Kerst family to Secunda was one to investigate and repair cracked houses – due to incorrect foundation solutions on heaving clay. We fixed 2500 houses. I was probably the countriesexpertatrepairingcrackedhouses.

SouthAfricanInstitutionofCivilEngineering

IjoinedSAICEin1973asastudentattheinsistenceofProfessorJennings.

I registered as a Professional Engineer in 1980 and became a Corporate Member of SAICE in 1981. In1991IinstigatedtheestablishmentoftheHighveldBranchofSAICE.HereIservedasChairman,Treasurer, SecretaryandCouncilreponmanyoccasions.

In 2011 I was elected a Fellow of SAICE and in 2014 I was nominated as a Vice President where I servedfrom 2014 until2017becomingtheSAICEPresidentin 2018.Thiswasindeedan honourconsidering that past presidents included our Professors Ockleston, Jennings,MidgleyandSchwartz.

DuringmytimeasSAICEPresidentIwasprivileged tobeabletovisittheUKtwice.Firstlyforacourtesyvisitto visitICEandotherengineeringorganizationsinLondon.

The second trip, accompanied by Sandy I represented SAICE at the ICE 200-year celebration as well as the FAEO 50-year celebration. In 2018 we also visited Zimbabwe to attend the ZIE conference where I was a keynote speaker. In 2019 we travelled to Australia to visit family where I also represented SAICE (together with the 2019PresidentandtheCEO)atEngineersAustralia’s100th yearcelebration.

WhilethereweevenmanagedtolookupDavidandRosemaryBalkinfordinner.

Over the past 15 years I have been involved with updating amongst other things the SAICE Constitution and Bylaws, Rules and Committee Terms of References as well as Annual Awards documentation.IstillserveonSAICEFinance,MembershipandEventsCommittees.

 In 2021 I served on the Steering Committee of the SAICE Infrastructure Report Card and authored the sections on Waste Management, Hospital Infrastructure and Higher Education Infrastructure.

 From2015to2017IservedontheProfessionalAdvisoryCommittee(Civil)ofECSA.

 In 2023 I was elected an Honorary Fellow of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering.

 In2024IwaselectedaFellowoftheSouthAfricanAcademyofEngineers.

Familylife

ImetmywifeSandy,aprimaryschoolteacherwhowasstudyingatJCE,attheWitsBadmintonClub. AftermarryingSandyinApril1978,welivedinJohannesburgfor10yearsbeforeIwastransferredtoSecunda.

Hobbies,sports,interests

We have 3 daughters –Bridgette who is also a Wits Civil Engineer working in the Netherlands, Lauren, who is a school sports teacher (Johannesburg) and Nadine who is a biokineticist. (Ballito). We have 2 grandchildren. On retiring in 2015 SandyandIleftSecundaafter29years, relocatingtoNelspruit.

At university I played Badminton becoming the Club Chairman in 1976. After playing league badminton in Johannesburg and Secunda until 1995 I took up swimming again focussing on open water swimming. I have completed over 120 dam swims including 24 Midmar Miles since taking up the challenge in1999.Asafamilywehavebeenparticipatinginopenwaterswimmingeventssince1999.

While in Secunda I became involved with the two local English language schools, serving on the governing bodies as the technical person and ultimately as the Chairman. In Secunda I also served on the Hoeveldrif AfrikaanseSakekamer Committee.Ialsoserveonthe Home-OwnersAssociation of theLifestyle EstatewhereweliveandhaveservedasChairman.

In2017IjoinedToastmasters.Iwaspromptedtodoso,soastoupmypublic speakingskills for my yearasPresidentofSAICE.IamstillamemberoftheCrocodileToastmastersClubenjoyingeveryminuteof it. My only regret is that a skill such as this was not introduced to engineers at a much earlier stage – in hindsightIrealisethatengineersgenerallydon’thavethegreatestcommunicationskills.

Due to the skills acquired when compiling speeches, I wrote several opinion pieces for the SAICE magazine.Ialsodecidedtowritea 200-pagebook(lotsof photographsthoughwhichpresentedtothefamily ontheoccasionofmy70thbirthday.

9.22 Klawansky,RaymondJoseph

PersonalDetails

Born in Krugersdorp on 16 May 1953. SchooledinKrugersdorpandmatriculatedfrom KHSin1970.Spent1971doingnationalservice in Potchefstroom where I was informed that “Civvy Maths” is not the same as “Army Maths”, according to an erudite staff sergeant during a survey lecture. We were an artillery locatingbatteryhencethetrigonometry.ISpent the next four years at Wits where it was confirmedthatthesaidstaffsergeantwasindeed wrong.

ProfessionalLife

I commenced working early 1976 and spent the next eleven years gaining a varied experience in hydrology,dams,construction,structures,superloadrouteclearanceandtransport.Thelatterbeinganexciting andinnovativepartofmyexperience.

During the eleven-year period I was employed by Department of Water Affairs, then Roberts ConstructioninMalawi,followedby WLPUin Braamfontein. At WLPU, Igained excellent experience with thedetaildesignoftheKoebergSECPumphousefollowedbytheContinuousCastingStainlessSteelplantat SouthernCrossSteelinMiddelburg.

AfterthatIjoinedDrennan,Maude&PartnersinKemptonParkwhereIwasintroducedtoSuperload TransportRouteClearance.Duringthistime,IappliedforprofessionalregistrationandbecamePrEngduring 1983. While at Drennan, Maude I was approached by Frasers Multi Axle Transport, a company who were desirousofcompetingintheextraheavytransportfield.IwasofferedadirectorshipintheirMultiAxledivision andthusmovedfromconsultingtothecommercialworldanddevelopedadifferentapproachtosuchtransport. ThisprovedsuccessfulandFrasersbecameaforceintheSouthAfricansuperloadindustry.Frasersthengave metheopportunitytostartmyownconsultancywiththeirbacking.

I founded my consulting practice beginning 1987. This kicked off with Super load Transport work. I have attached a couple of photographs of a reactor vessel that we moved from Richards Bay Harbour to Sasol in Sasolburg. The payload mass was 532 tonne and the gross combination more than 1,000 tonne. At that time, I believe that South Africa were leaders in the field of long distance super load haulage. The reason being that our large industriesarelocatedinland.

Because ESKOM then had excess power generation capacity, it suspended large infrastructural expenditure.ESKOMbeing amajorplayerinthesuperloadfield,theexcitingstuffdriedupandmypractice became involved with structural work. Over the years I have been involved in numerous structural projects andcontinuetodosowhenworkisavailable.

Family

I met my wife Zeona in 1980 and we married the following year. We were blessed with three boys, Craig, Phillip and Graham.All threematriculated fromGreenside High School, which incidentally was built bymyfather,abuildingcontractorfromKrugersdorp.

Inher capacity asimmunologist,Zeona wasinvolvedinmedicalresearchuntilthearrivalof Graham and then joined my practice in an administrative capacity.

Craig followed in my footsteps and graduated from Wits Civils in 2004, together with ErrolKerst’sdaughterBridgette.Phillipcompleted his electrical engineering degree also at Wits in 2008. Graham graduated from the academy of soundengineeringin2010.

We lost Craig tragically beginning 2007 havingjust turned24. Phillip and Graham are both involvedinspecialisedsoftwaredevelopment.

Interests

For some strange reason I took up long distance running during 1979 and ran my first Two Oceans and Comrades in 1980. Bernie Krone and I trained together, and I have pasted a photo of us completing our first qualifying marathoninFebruary1980.

One day while conquering the Northcliff hill, Bernie and I were confronted by a large Alsatian dog who scaled a boundarywallandrandirectlyatus.Berniesaid,“Watchthis” then raised his arms and charged at the dog who immediately high-taileditbackovertheboundarywall.

I ran Comrades twice, Two Oceans three times and severalmarathons and shorter races.Having sufferedwith flat feetandresultanttwistingofankles,Istoppedthelong-distance stuff and became quite involved with Squash. I played social and league for many years until my doctor said that my feet were damaged and suggested I avoid further impact. I then becameawalker.TodatethatiswhatIdo.Ienjoytheexercise butmissmysport.

9.23 Lines,Rob

I was born in Ermelo in the then Eastern Transvaal on the 24th of July 1953 to parents Ray and Gertie Lines and was raised on their farm Kranspoort near a small railway/mining village called Estancia, midway between Ermelo and Hendrina. Growing up on a farm came with many opportunities, like learning to milk cows and drive mydad’sbakkieandtractorbytheageof7,anddisasters, like burning down almost the entire farm while playing withmatchesinthelongwintergrass.

I went to school at the Estancia primary school, where walking around without shoes was the order of the day. Coming first in my class every year was a great moraleboostereventhoughIhappenedtobetheonlychild in my grade for a large part of my time there. There were two teachers in the school of 22 children, one of whomwasalsotheheadmaster.

When the farm was sold in 1968, we moved to Estancia for a short while and then to Ermelo where I finishedprimaryschoolanddidnotcomefirstinmyclass.Mydad,afitterandturnerbytrade,thenaccepted a teachingpost at the Middelburg Technical High School and we movedtothetown where Icompleted high school,fortunatelywithoutincident.

I followed my older brother to Wits and a degree in civil engineering, where I met you all. Going to university was always assumed in my family, with the only obstacle being a monetary one. In this regard I was fortunatetoobtain abursaryfrom the ElectricitySupply Commission(ESCOM), now knownas Eskom, which covered my tuition fees as well as my 4-year stay on the university campus, first at Dalrymple House andlateratCollegeHouse,knowncollectivelyasMen’sRes.

I graduated in 1975, Cum Laude, and almost immediately found myself at the Voortrekkerhoogte military base, now known as Thaba Tshwane, where I completed my basic training. As a result of my engineering background, I was transferred to the Sapper Corps after basics and seconded to the CSIR for 9 months as a research assistant tasked with investigating new rapid road building techniques in cohesionless soils,whereIgainedexperienceinsoilslaboratorytesting,roaddesignandconstruction.Idid3-monthborder dutystintsin1978,‘79,‘82and‘85and,despitenearlysuccumbingtoaseriousboutoftyphoidfever,exited thearmywiththerankofmajor.

AfterdischargefromcompulsorymilitarytraininginDecember1976,IjoinedEskomasanengineer-intraining stationed at Kriel Power Station, where, under supervision, I supervised construction of the civil engineering components ofthe power station, gainingexperience in, among others, site/tacheometric/control surveys and setting out, quality control of construction materials and management of the site laboratory and checkingofreinforcingandgeneralsitesupervision.

I got married in July 1977, and in December of that year moved to Eskom’s head office at Megawatt Park in Sandton as assistant engineer and later engineer in the design office. During this time, I was mostly involved in the planning, design and draughting of various components of the Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme,suchasthetransformerhall,controlblockandmachinefoundations.

In January of 1980, I was appointed project engineer and later senior project engineer over all civil engineering and structural aspects of Tutuka Power Station. This involved planning and layout of the power station,in-housedesigncoordination,functionalcontrolofconsultants,preparationofenquirydocumentation, evaluation of tenders, placing and administration of contracts, financial planning and budgeting as well as evaluationandnegotiationofcontractorclaims.

Aroundmid-1984,Imovedbackintothedesignofficeasprincipalengineer(generalcivildesign),with overallresponsibilityforroadsandstormwater,waterreticulationsystemsandashdams.Apartfromthedesign aspectsofthejob,Iwasalsoexposedtothemanagementofabout25technicalpersonnel.

Yet another promotion awaited in April 1986 when I was appointed chief engineer (civil design), with overall responsibility for all civil, structural and geotechnical design in Eskom. Although this role entailed sign-off of all designs, this was largely a management function, with over 70 technical personnel under my control.ThevalueofworkundertakenamountedtoaboutR200millionperannum.

I took over as civil and building manager in December 1988, with a department of some 350 staff comprisingcivilandstructuralengineers,architects,quantitysurveyorsandprojectmanagers.But,bytheearly 1990s, with excess generating capacity looming and a much-reduced need for such a large in-house design capability, I was asked to embark upon a staff reduction exercise, retaining only a few staff in each of the disciplinesundermycontrol.Withamixofearlyretirements,retrenchmentsandreassignments,Imanagedto reducethedepartment’sheadcountto17–anextremelytaxingandemotionalexercise!

With effectively no design department to run, I was quick to seize the offer of setting up a new entity, andinJuly1992,ImoveddowntoCapeTowntoestablishwhatIcalledthePeakingGenerationbusinessunit, comprising Eskom’s pumped storage schemes (Drakensberg & Palmiet), its hydro power stations (Gariep & Vanderkloof),gasturbinepowerstations(Acacia&PortRex),aswellasSaltRiverPowerStation(coalfired). I was now well and truly into management, with a total complement of approximately 500 staff. With the closure of Salt River, which had come to the end of its life, and the need to streamline the various power stations under their new Peaking Generation umbrella, my previous staff reduction expertise came in handy, and I reducedthe total staff complement to 270. Whilealso an emotional exercise, Imanaged torelocate the excessstaffwithouttheneedforanyretrenchments.

With Peaking Generation up and running smoothly and missing my children in Johannesburg – my Eskom activities having taken their toll on my marriage in 1990 – I moved back to Megawatt Park as hydro and watermanager responsible for the planning and designof Eskom’s third pumped storagescheme, Ingula (initiallynamedBraamhoek).Thewaterlegofmyjobentailedtheplanning,design,operationandmaintenance of all water supply systems in Eskom. This was a very rewarding posting since it involved both design and management.

2005 saw more changes to my life, with a promotion to general manager of the primary energy department, responsible for all Eskom’s coal, water and liquid fuel supplies, and my marriage to Charmain. The department was in somewhat of a shambles and highly politicised and ended up taking a daily 16-hour tollonmylife.Withhindsight,Icannowsaythat‘fortunately’thepoliticsofthejobsawmeleaveEskomin July2008…thankfullywithmymarriageintact!

AfteralongrestandalovelytriptotheSeychellesisland of Desroches, I joined my civil engineering brother in his practice in Randburg, where I took on most of the site work, leavingthecalculatorandcomputerinhiscapablehands.The jobs were plentiful, ranging from residential, to retail and industrial.Followingmy32-yearsatEskom,thiswasafitting endtoagreatcareer.Iformallyretiredin2022.

With the passing of my widowed mother in 2023, CharmainandIdecidedtoemigratetotheUK,wherewenow happilylive,closetotwoofmythreechildrenandourholiday homeinthemountainsofTuscany.

9.24 McGlashan,WayneMartin

Born:1952,Gwelo,Zimbabwe

Address:28PfaffenrainStreet,4103Bottmingen,Switzerland

Married:On20thApril1974marriedMayaBührerinFloridaPark. Wasoneofthefewmarriedstudentsinourclass. Celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary last year in the Seychelles.

Daughter:SamanthaAngela,born1976.

Sheinturnhasadaughter,Naomiborn2003.

CitizenofSwitzerlandandSouthAfrica

Education

B.Sc.(CivilEng.),UniversityofWitwatersrand,SouthAfrica,1975

MBA,Centred'EtudesIndustrielles(nowIMD),Geneva,1981

Sports&Hobbies

Playedrugby,badminton,landhockey,swimming,sailingandgolf. Butmyreallovehasbeengolfformanyyears.

CaptainofourSeniorsGolfTeamplayingleagueinGermanyandSwitzerland. MemberoftheGolfClubCommitteeresponsibleforthegolfcourseanditsupkeep. Playedbridgeformanyyears.

Career

Owner / Partner of Neos Consulting Ltd from 1996 to July 2007, working in various industries includingthebankingandpharmaceuticalindustry.Examplesoftheworkdone:

 Line Management responsibility to build from scratch within 9 months the IT Production and Applications Support Organisation of a Pan European Internet-Bank. It consisted of over 200 interconnectedApplicationscapabletohandleover150,000transactionsperhour.

 LineManagementresponsibilityfortheITInfrastructureoflargestSwissPrivateBankwithan annual budget exceeding CHF 200 million. Establish a new organisation resulting from the mergeroftwolargebanks.DevelopaGlobalITArchitecturewithStandardsandimplementit.

 For a large Japanese Pharmaceutical company, define a IT Strategy and implement a standardised European IT Applications and Infrastructure together with European Finance, Logistics, field force automation systems as well as a uniform workflow, electronic mail and office automation. Establish a fully outsourced IT Organisation that manages the external suppliersviaServiceLevelAgreements.

 Led a project to define the service requirements which were implemented as a complete new electronicmailservicesupportingover15,000usersforalargeSwissBank

VariousmanagementpositionsinF.Hoffmann-LaRocheLtdbetween1988and1996:

 ViceDirector,InformationManagement,PharmaOperations.

Responsible for the management of the demand for Informatic Services and Investments within the Division.ITInvestmentportfolioexceededSfr500million.

IT Operating budget exceeded Sfr 250 million per year. Established the project centre and structured approach to implement SAP R/3 on a global basis in such a way as to meet the legal and registrationrequirementsdictatedbytheregularitybodiesworld-wide.

 ViceDirector,InformationTechnology.

Responsible for the technical design and operation of the global telecommunications networks for voice,data,imageandvideo-conferencing.

Develop and maintain the Corporate Information Technology Standards and Guidelines. Restructure the organisation from a monopolistic cost centre to a competitive profit centre in a free marketenvironment.

EuropeanManagerforDuPontdeNemoursSA(1981to‘88),withvariousresponsibilities:

 EuropeanManagerforTelecommunicationsandtheGenevaDataCentreServicesoperatingas aprofitcentrewithabudgetofover$40million.

Managed the implementation of the European telecommunications network and accompanying Value AddedServicessuchasElectronicMail.

ProjectManagerCairoRamsesHiltonHotel,1977to1980

 Built 44-storey hotel in Cairo, on the bank of the NileRiver,atthattimethe highest building in the MiddleEast.

RobertsConstruction,1975to1977

 Section Engineer for the Drier and Silo Complex, FOSKORPhalaborwa

9.25 Miller,Keith

Havingrecentlysoldthefamilyhomein Plettthetime was right to get rid of clutter and memorabilia unseen for years.

Clippings of Rand Daily Mail moon landing, a green song book including the Civils song, Wits magazine with cops chasing students and our attempt one year of the rag floatfinallynamedtheelephantthatturnedintoapig.

The mind then wandered to computer punch cards, slide rules, 7 figure Vega logbooks and paper planes flying from the Chem Eng Building to Doves funeral parlour below.

Dozzie Webb and lamina flaw spelling intended, bridgeinclass,PeteDaniels giggle,leavinglecturestoplaygolf,GlendaKempandpythonatruggerclub,the Dev,nakedstreetruns,timbertourstoNelspruitandtakingacoffinofbeersuptheMagaliesbergonGeology outingallingoodfun.

Rob Hulme and our flights to Mozambique and Zim, my girlfriend Karen and getting bombed at final dinnerduetoinhalingcigar.

Andthenshakingmyheadastohowyoung andimmature Iwasat17 whenIstarted,nowonderItook atadlongertograduate

PersonalLife

Been married to Merle for 47 years with two children Lauren 45 a landscape Architect and Rhys 43 a private Chef and life guidance coach both of whom reside in Plettenberg Bay having returned from the UK aftermanyyearsandblessedtohave3grandchildreninPlett,auniquesituationthesedays.

OverthepasttwoyearsIhavehadaminorstrokeandbeendiagnosedwithParkinson’sbutstillactively ridebikerecentlycompletingmy30thCapeTowncycletourandstillplaygolfalbeitoffthebluetees. Hikingisalsoapastime,andtheOtterandWhaletrailsareamongmyfavouriteonesnotforgettingRobberg

WasalsoPresidentofWesternProvinceGolfFoundationfor3years.

Have been on various committees over the years and am now a member of Formosa Garden Village Exco.

MyCareerinIndustry

HavinghadabursarywithMurrayandStewartEasternCapeaftergraduationIwasdutyboundtowork for them in Port Elizabeth and immediately dispatched to P K Le Roux dam on subcontract work for Shaft Sinkerswhichinmanywayssetthetoneformyfuture.

HereImadelifelongfriendsandrecallour“dambouers”rugbyteamwinningthelocalleagueandbeing ragged in Hopetown for wearing panty hose to play on a freezing day, they looked rather tatty after the first tackle.

A year’s Army stint followed the highlight being building the recce base in Ondangwa in the then SouthwestAfrica.

Back in Port Elizabeth the Charl Malan Quay reclamation awaited and then a call from the Drakon Consortium led me to the Drakensberg Pump Storage scheme near Bergville where I was responsible for the concrete lining of all waterways and developed a special tunnel shutter for the pressure tunnels as well as pressuregroutingtheliningto80bar,thisinmanywaysbeingthehighlightofmysitebasedcareer.

Memories include having our first-born Lauren come into the world and playing league golf for Harrismith and cricket for Bergville where Zulu was the chief language used by the farmers. Obtained my PrEngduringthe4yearsontheproject.

On completion of the project I chose to join LTA Civils in Port Elizabeth as contracts manager on the electrificationof the PEto De Aarrail line,a logistical nightmare aswell as aneducationinstayingatRoyal Hotels and farmhouses along the line. Bridge building on the eastern section of the Tsitsikama toll road followedaswellasStAlbanssewerworksinPEbeforeIresignedtostartmyowncompanywithamarketing partner.

ArticConstructionbuiltthefirst99-yearleaseholdhouseinKwamagakiPEandgrewtobuildinginEast London, Aliwal North, Grahamstown and Uitenhage producing 80 three bedroom houses a month before buildinglow-costhousinginMotherwellfortheSAHousingtrustledtothedemiseofthecompany.

I then joined Basil Read heading up development and construction in the Southern Cape and then transferredtoCapeTownasManagingDirectorCapeslowlygrowingthecompanywithmajorprojectsbeing Dolphin Beach residents, Saldana Bay naval base extension and new prisons in Worcester, Porterville and VictorVester.

BouyguesaFrenchowedcompanyboughtBasilReadandafterbeingatReadsfor8yearsIresignedas theirculturedidnotsuitmine.

IthenjoinedRHMorrisaG5ownedcompany,as Contracts Director and took over as Managing Director growing the company over time to one of the largest in the Cape. Constructing most of the new foreshore high rise buildings, Koeberg interchange, Mitchell’s Plein andVangateMallssomeofthehighlights.

IwasthenaskedtoruntheDubaiofficebutonthe eveofdeparturetheDubaicrashcameaboutsothiswas put on hold and assigned to opening up construction opportunities in West Africa (Ghana and Nigeria). This proved one of limited success given the constraints imposed by the Company on “facilitation fees” with onlyashoppingcentreinAbujaforShopriteconstructed buttheAfricaexperiencewascertainlycolourful.

Returning to SA after two years I was based in Johannesburg for a short period before taking voluntary early retirement.

Mazor Steeland AluminiumFacadesand Widowsin Cape Town then asked me to run the company construction side for two years during the Boom period before retiring to Plettenberg Bayin2014.

BothourchildrensoonfollowedsuitreturningfromtheUK and I assisted in setting up businesses in Plett with them before taking up, sucker for punishment, the Estate Managers position atBrackenridgePlettfor5years.

IstilldotheoddconsultingProjectsinPlettwhenaskedand recentlymovedtoFormosaRetirementVillage.

Certainly,aprivilegedcareerandfortunateto havebeenat Wits.

9.26 Mumford,KeithA

Background

Prior to going to Wits in 1970 to study Civil Engineering I was registered at Concor Construction as a learnerTechnicianasIcouldnotaffordthe“varsityfees”andcouldnotgetabursary.

Iwasfortunatethatwhere Iwasworkingduringmypractical6monthsat NauteDaminthethenSouth WestAfrica,thechiefSurveyorpersuadedthelateFrankAab,thethenMDofConcorthatConcorshouldpay formetogotoWits.

Employment

After I completed my degree in 1975, I worked all around RSA for Concor, but eventually in 1978my wifeandIdecidedthatwewantedtostartafamily,andIneededtomovebacktoJHB.

I then left the construction industry per se and went into the construction insurance industry as a Loss Adjuster.

Over the next 30 years I was a shareholder and Director of four different Loss Adjusting practices and for two periods of three years each I was persuaded to go into the corporate Insurance broking field. The detailsofthesevarioustimeperiodsarelistedhereunder.

 1978to1980–RennieMurrayandCo-Lossadjusterinconstructionandengineering.

 1980to1983-ScottWhalleyandCo-Lossadjusteranddirector-resignedtostartCubberley andAssociates.

 1983 to 1989 - Cubberley and Associates - Director, shareholder and loss adjuster –concentratingallaspectsoftheconstructioninsuranceindustry

 1989 to 1991- Bankorp International Insurance Brokers – manager of Construction division andresponsiblefortheGrinakerAccount.

 1991to1998-CWBLossAdjusters-Director,shareholderandlossadjuster–mainlyfocused onallaspectsofliabilityclaimsintheconstructionindustry-

 1998-1999- Engineering and Construction Insurance Consultants (Pty) Ltd- ENCON- 40% shareholderanddirector.

 1999 to 2001- Manager of the construction division at Marsh SA. Responsible for the entire ConstructionandEngineeringDivisionofMarshSAandAfrica

After leaving Marsh in 2002 I went back into Loss Adjusting and also some consulting to the smaller insurancebrokersasnotedbelow.

 2002to2005–ConsultanttoLossAdjustersMcLarenYoung

 2005todate

 2002-Todate–IwasthefoundingandonlymemberofKamSpecialistRiskConsultantscc

In 2007 my very old friend, a QS whom I had introduced to Loss Adjusting and I started a completely newinsurance productworldwidecalledContractorsContingentRiskCover,wrotethe wordingfromscratch andlaunchedthe productwiththe supportof Swiss Re. The product didnot reallytakeoffin RSAasall the majorcontractorswerecashflushatthetime,butitwaslaunchedsuccessfullyinotherpartsoftheworld.

 May 2008 to June 2014. I, together with two co-directors, realized that there was a demand foranother“market”forconstructionliabilityinsurance,sowe startedanUnderwritingManagement Agency (UMA), Risk Technical Services, which specialized in writing Professional Indemnity and BroadformLiabilityInsurancefortheConstructionIndustry.

 We were writing under the RMB Specialized Lines Licence, thinking that as we were specializing in the ‘long term’ side of the short-term insurance (Single Project Policies were often writtenfor periodsof 7yearsinthose golden days) wewanted aname thatwouldbe aroundforever. Wehadawonderful6yearsdoingveryprofitablebusiness,butRMBSIdecidedtoleavethe“UMA” businessinMay2014leavingourselvesandanother16UMA’shighanddry.

Because of our “long tail” business we could not sell the company, so we went into what is known as “run-off”andmypartnerandIhadtogobacktoLossAdjustingandotherconsultingwork.Mostofmytime isnowtakenupconsulting(since2020)toLeppardandAssociates,todevelopandheaduptheSingleProject PI,andtheSingleProjectDesignandConstructionPIdivision,andprovideinputonallotheraspectsofBuilt

Environment Professional Indemnity which has just had a huge “shot on the arm” following the President’s announcementwrttheincreaseofprivatepowergeneratingto100MW.

FamilyLife

Vivien and I were married in 1974 and we have two children and two grandchildren. I played bad golf at Glenvista Country Club (since January 1974) but enjoyed everymoment,andit gavemy long-sufferingwife, Vivien, achancetorecovertwodaysaweek!

AfterlivinginthesouthofJHBfornearly70yearwe movedtoHeaven,(MosselBay)5yearsago.

9.27

Nardin,Paolo

1943 BorninAsmarainEritreaon29June1943.

1962 I graduated as a Surveyor and worked as assistanttoaseniorengineerintheTisAbay(BlueNile Falls)Hydro-ElectricPowerstation.

1967 I left Ethiopia because of the civil war and arrived in South Africa with a work offer from Hawkins, Hawkins & Osborn (HHO). I was, for a few years, rotated through various departments, until one day Mr. Connel, a Senior Partner, suggested I study towardsadegreeandofferedmeabursary.

1972 – 1975 I studied civil engineering at WITS and graduatedin1975withthegroupknownastheClassof1975.

1976 After completing my BSc in Civil Engineering I joined HHO, because I had a bursary obligation, as assistant engineer (R&B) in the construction of the Umtata International airport in preparationfortheTranskei’sindependence.

1977 Iopenedandmanageda new HHO officein Umtata and wasinvolved in the planning of the UmtatatoPortStJohnsRoad,UmtataBy-Pass,andMinisterialcomplex.

1981 I Returned to HHO Johannesburg Head office and was involved in the Geotechnical investigationoftheminedumpsfortheconstructionoftheNIWesternBypass.

1983 Duetoeconomicsanctionsthere werenonewroadprojects,soItook6monthsunpaidleave becausewantedtofollowmyotherpassion,food,andwentofftoSwazilandtoopenanItalianrestaurant inMbabane.

1985 Therestaurantwasverysuccessfulbut workpermitissuesforcedme toleave Swazilandand gobacktoJohannesburgwhereIwasofferedasalesconsultantjobandenrolledinaDaleCarnegiesales course.

1986 WithmyengineeringandsalesbackgroundIformedapartnershipandopenedvariousItalian restaurantsandothersmallbusinesses,whichwereverysuccessful.

1989 Ireceivedanawardforbeststudentofthesmallbusinesscourseofclass89.

1992 ImovedtoCapeTownseekingamorerelaxedlifebutstilllandedinthecateringindustryand ranverysuccessfulrestaurants.

1995 InpartnershipwithanAngolanIopenedanexportcompany.Wetradedinfoodandbeverages and we did well. It was however a very challenging venture and eventually due to theft and corruption I was forced to close thecompany

1997 Back in Cape Town and back to catering I opened a very popular bar/restaurant, settled down, got married andstartedenjoyinglife.

2010 I sold all my businesses and retiredbutoutofboredomIstartedstudying again to become an Italian Tour Guide, whichIamstillveryhappywith.

In conclusion those years spent on campus were awesome. I do not have any regrets about my decisions and I believe that the engineering background I acquired at Wits willhelpmethroughoutmylife.

WithRobBandini

9.28 Roberts,Kelvin

1976-1979

IstartedoffworkingasajuniorengineerintheSADF(camp infrastructure) and Department of Water affairs (hydraulics engineer), during which time I became disillusioned with engineering!

1979

Ithenmadealast-ditchedeffortanddecidedtotrymyhand in transportation planning - Prof Schwartz had made that sound interesting.Thisturnedouttobeapivotalstepinmycareer. I started off as a Junior Transportation planner with VKE and then joinedthenewlyformedspecialistTransportationConsultingfirm-StanwayEdwardsAssociates(SEA). I found this subject matterto be more gratifying and went on to work on a wide range of traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning projects and became a partner in SEA. At the same time, I studied for a TransportationHonoursdegreeattheUniversityofPretoria.

1986

After 7 years in this position, I left to become the Chief Transportation Planner atthe Port Elizabeth Municipality.Myresponsibilitieshereincludedalightrailfeasibilitystudyandprojectmanagementforanew computerizedUrbantrafficcontrolsystem.

1989-1994

MysubsequentpositionsinSouthAfricathenincluded:

 I started a community development company - African Development Managers – and was involvedinawiderangeof“NewSouthAfrica”typeprojects

 IalsoprojectmanagedaJohannesburgLightRailFeasibilitystudy

1994

OurfamilyemigratedtoCanadain1994,whereIworkedfor6yearsasanassociatedirectoratDelcan, againspecializingintransportationplanningprojects.

Thereafter after I started specializing in transportation safety and initiated the Safety Conscious PlanningandSaferCityprogramsfortheautoinsurancecompanyinBritishColumbia.

Istartedmyowncompanyworkingontransportationsafetyforanother6years.

2009

In 2009, I started a database development company, specializing in safety GIS, Virtual Training and KnowledgeManagementprojects,andcasemanagementsystemsforNGOs.

I am still very active in this regard – it is notable that none of my projects now have much of an engineeringflavourtothem.

Personal

We have now lived in Canada for 32 years, and have settled well, including becoming hockey fans! Our2kidshaveadaptedwellandnolongerhaveanyremainingSouthAfricanaccent.

Idid get toseeRobWridgeway and Ian Clements onoccasionandbecame closefamily friendswith PeteDaniels-withwhomIstillhavecontact.

Conclusion

AlthoughIcannotsaythatIhave mademuchuseof what Ihadlearnedinour engineering courses,I dothinkthattheanalyticalthinkingprocessesthatwelearnedstoodusingoodsteadtotacklethewiderange ofinitiativesthatwehaveconfrontedthroughourworkingyears.

9.29 Raubenheimer,Richard‘Rick’

After I graduated in 1975, I joined the Department of Water Affairs at SterkfonteinDam,Harrismith,OFS,asAssistantEngineer.I spent a year-and-a-half there before being transferred to Planning Division,HeadOffice,Pretoria.

ThereIqualifiedasProfessionalEngineer(Pr.Eng.).

Ijoined Forum Toastmasters in Pretoria in August 1978 and was amemberuntilNovember1982.

May 1980-Aug 1981: I travelled in Europe then took up a CBI (Confederation of British Industry) Overseas Scholarship for a year's technical experience in Britain, working for Watermeyer, Legge, Piésold&Uhlmann(WLPU)ConsultingEngineersinAshford,Kent.IwroteaBillofQuantitiesprogramand otherengineeringsoftwareonaJacquardcomputer.

I returned to DWA in September 1981. Then, in May 1982 I joined WLPU Consulting Engineers, in Braamfontein (now Knight Piésold in Rivonia). Later promoted to Senior Engineer and then Principal Engineer.AfteravarietyofCivilEngineeringdesignwork,Igravitatedtothecomputersection.UnderRoland Prukl,IworkedonanHP1000minicomputer(asjointSystemManager),HewlettPackarddesktopcomputers, andPCsin1986.

In1987Istarteddoingin-housePCtrainingforWLPU. IdevelopedadvancedcoursewareforLotus12-3withafriend,Judith Taylor.Ibeganpresentingcoursesfor Judith’s company,CommunicationinAction, duringmyleave.Whentheleaveranout,in1991IleftWLPU,workingasanindependentconsultantoncivil engineeringcomputerapplicationsforWLPUandtrainingforCommunicationinAction.

JudithandImarriedinMarch1991.Judith’sdaughterFreyni,byherfirstmarriage,cametolivewithus in our cluster house in Hurlingham Manor. After Matric she wentto Rhodes University to study botany. She nowlivesnearMiddelburg,ECapewithherhusbandandtwosons.

In1993 IjoinedCommunication in Action as CC Member and qualifiedas a Certified Lotus Engineer. InAug1996IqualifiedasaMicrosoftSolutionDeveloper,oneofabout20inSouthAfricaatthetime.

We bought a property on Coleraine Drive at the edge of Rivonia, which we used to present computer training.Afewyearslater,withtheadventoftheSETAs,thebottomfelloutofthetrainingmarketaseveryone heldbackontraininguntiltheycouldgettheirrebates.

We moved to Morningside Manor, cut back training to customised in-house courses, and I started programming in earnest, while Judith started selling hardware and software through a second company we started,namedEngiNet.Wethenhadafraudwherewesoldtwolaptopsinexchangeforastolencheque.We hadtoliquidateEngiNetandretrenchstaff.

To survive financially, we shrank the officeto a single room and let out the bedrooms and cottage. To publicise our rooms, I started the website, ‘www.megaplex.co.za’. As a resource for tenants, I added a page forthenearestshoppingcentre,whichhadnowebsite.Thisrapidlybecamethemostpopularpageonthesite, so I addedthe nextnearest, andthe next... The site is nowwhat Iimmodestlycall “the world'smostpopular website for shopping in Sandton and Bryanston”, and covers almost every shopping centre in the area, often ingreaterdetailthanthecentres’ownsites(wheretheyexistatall).

From 2019 Judith had various health problems that left her verbally impaired atone stage, and at other timesunable to walk. After what we feared was another brainbleed, she wasrecovering well in Sunninghill Hospital’sICUwhenshecaughtsomethingthedoctorsdidnotbothertoidentifyanddiedon10July2022.

AsJudith’shealthdeteriorated,ItookoverrunningCommunicationinAction,whichtradesasSoftware Africa. I write and sell generally-engineering-focusedsoftwarelike dotPLOT (forsoil profiles and borehole logs),andAutodeskproductslikeAutoCAD. Itpaysthebillsbutwillnotmakemerich.

Irunin-personandonlineExcelcoursesincludingExcelforEngineersandExcelMacros, bothofwhich Ihaveputonthewebasself-pacedcourses.

Outsideofwork…

IwasaSAPoliceReservist1993–2015,andSecretaryandTreasurerofSandtonReservistsatvarious times. I was awarded “Reservist of the Year 2006” (the John Densham Award) for longstanding service as Secretary/Treasurer.IwaspromotedtoSergeantasof1July2007. Iearnedthreemedals.

I did courses such as Advanced Driving, Tactical Survival Techniques, and Close Quarter Combat. The latter led me to Krav Maga, which I did April 2013 to March 2020 when COVID-19 hit. I reached first BrownBeltlevel.

I’m a longstanding Democratic Alliance activist. I was DABranch Chairman in Johannesburg Ward 109forfouryears.ThisculminatedintheDAwinningtheWardin2016.

InJune2014,Ire-joinedToastmastersatTransformersToastmasters.Afterdisagreementsinthatclub, in April 2018 I moved to UWP Toastmasters. When our host, UWP Engineers renamed itself as Mariswe Engineers, the club followed suit. Here I achieved my Distinguished Toastmaster award (DTM), dated 26 August2019.IheldvariouscommitteepostsincludingMarisweToastmastersClubPresidentfrom1July2020 to 30 June 2021. The club began to decline. I returned to the committee in July 2024 as Vice President Educationbutfoundsettingupmeetingagendasdifficultwithfewmemberswillingtocommit.WhenMariswe EngineerswithdrewtheuseoftheirboardroomasofendMarch2025,Ididnotrenewmymembership.

Philosophically, after starting Transcendental Meditation at Wits and exploring various beliefs including homeopathy, rebirthing, New Age, and failed attempts to astral travel, I concluded that I am an atheist. I blogged and wrote to newspapers on religion, civic matters and politics. I did the HTML for the weekly Richard Dawkins Foundation newsletter for 1½ years. For 3 years I worked as a volunteer on the telephonehotlinerunbyRecoveringfromReligionintheUSA.

On8June2014IattendedJani Greeff’s firstAtheist Picnic atZooLake in Parkview.The groupthat arose, founded the Secular Society of South Africa (SASS) on 26 October 2014 at my house. Since March 2019I’vebeenPresidentofSASS.Wepromotetheseparationofreligionandstate,supportrationality,oppose superstition,andpromotetherightsofatheists,agnostics,sceptics,non-believers,freethinkers,humanists,etc.

With my two woolly dogs (German Shepherd cross maybe Chow cross something-else), I walk the SandspruitnearmyhousemostweekendsandsometimesleadahikealongtheSpruit.

9.30 Schnuir,Norman

Joined Barloworld Equipment Company in 1976 toworkintheJobStudyDepartment.

This was a department responsible for machine and fleet recommendations in the mining and constructionindustry.

From 1978 transferred to sales position and variousotherpositionsthereon.

Transferred to Zambia in 1993 to set up a dealershipforBarloworld.

Transferredbackin1999toSouthAfrica.Various positionsinKZNandMpumalanga

TransferredtoRussiain2003tosetupdealership inSiberiaandtheRussianFarEast.

Dealership was called Vostochnaya Tekhnika. ResidentinYakutsk(RepublicofYakutia)andMagadan(RussianFarEast)

Retiredin2010

OtherAchievements

MarriedJeanneEnslinin1977

TwodaughtersRobynandAlex OnegranddaughterCatharina

Jeannemyfirstwifepassedawayin2009inMagadan

MarriedLynnHacklandin2023

MarkVawardfromCaterpillarforsalesachievementsin1980

Comments

IcountmyselfluckytohaveworkedforBarloworldEquipmentCompanyand,asaresult,tohavehada closeworkingrelationshipwithCaterpillarTractorCo.

Both companies were wired in terms of ethics, accountability, hard work, care of customers and employeestomentionafew.

Being resident in Zambia and Russia gave my late wifeandIexperienceandmemorieswewillneverforget.

Our two daughters grew up with travel and as such may have been influenced them in their decision to emigratetotheUnitedKingdomandAustralia.

Physical fitness has played a part in terms of my current sport activities of cycling (road and mountain biking)andgolf.Highlightoftheyearisourannualskiing holidaytoLivignoinItaly.

Highlight of my sporting life was participating in a Clipper yacht race from New York to Southampton via Nova Scotia, Londonderry (Northern Ireland) and Amsterdamin2012.Iwillnotberepeatingthisactivity!Itwastoughgoing!

NowlivinginBallitoKZN,closetomanyvarioussporting,gameparks,andSpiritualactivities

Onetakeawayfrommycareeristheimportanceofattentiontodetail.Thisdidnotalwayshappenmuch tomyregretbutthatislife!

AnothertakeawayistheimportanceofaSpirituallife.Rebornin2018andnowexperiencingafullinner joy!

9.31 Shutler,Graham

In 1974 I took a year off (did you have a subject or 2 to carry???) and worked part time for Connell Williams and Associates where I designed road geometry, flood and runoff calculations and predictions and Bridge height determinations.

In1975Ididthefourthyearofthedegreewiththeclassof’75group.

Group5Construction

In 1976 I worked as a site engineer with Group 5 Construction (CMGM)attheAECIComplexinSasolburgwhereweconstructedallthecivil works for a value 1976 of R600 million. The plant makes High- and LowDensityPolyethyleneandPVCfromcoal.

In1977IwaspromotedtoSiteAgent.From1977to1979Iworkedon addingaPrecipitatorPlantandancillaryworkstoHighveldandTaaibosPower stationsintheVaalTriangleforEskom.

A further promotion in 1980 to Contracts Manager for Group 5 Construction saw me overseeing numerous work s in the Vaal Triangle for Sasol, Eskom, the various municipalities and SAB Breweries. This included civil and building type works ranging from sewerage and waterplantstoindustrialbuildings.

In 1982 I was promoted to Contracts Director at Group 5, which got me involved with overall management of projects from start to finish. This involved numerous projects around the northern provinces ofSouthAfrica.ThisinvolvedprojectsintheVaalTriangleforSasolandthePowerStationsinthearea.There werealsoprojectsforRandfonteinGoldMinesandAngloAmericanatVaalReefsinKlerksdorp.Therewere also projects for the Richards Bay Coal Terminal, Richards Bay Mining and a railway bridge at Mtubatuba (partofthecolaline)

OnMyOwn

In1985 Ileft Group 5 andstarted my own company where I fulfilled all the above roles on property developments including townhouses, commercial and industrial properties in Umhlanga, Durban and Amanzimtoti.Iwasinvolvedinallaspectsofthischallengeuntillate1992.

FirstexEngineeringHoldings

IthenjoinedFirstexEngineeringHoldingsasa ContractsandTechnical Directorarolethatincluded being the Contracts manager for numerous projects which included Mossel Bay Refinery -Fireproofing and HotandColdInsulation.SimilarfireproofingworkwasalsodoneforSasol.

Inpartnership with Tractobel(Brussels) we involvedwitha BOT Power PlantinCape Town as well as anupgradeat Namibia Power Station. There wasalso civil andbuilding worksfor the City ofCape Town aswellasnumerousResidentialbuildings.

From 2002 until 2014 as a Contracts Manager, Contracts Director and CEO of Firstex Engineering I gotinvolvedwithIndustrialpropertydevelopment,residentialpropertydevelopment,TransnetRailwayYard upgrades, Salt River Workshops and the Sishen-Saldanha rail line. There was also Athlone Power Station upgradingworks.

Since 2014, in the same roles I have been involved with building project management, property developmentandmixed-usedevelopmentsintheCapeTownarea.Iamalsoinvolvedinclaimsresolutionand Arbitrationmatters.

Atthisstage,50yearslaterIamstillworking.

PersonalLife

Mylifepartner/spouse,Ilse,passedawayafteraveryhappyfulfilledlifeattheyoungageof41,some 10 years ago. This was really devastating for me, and the most painful thing I have ever experienced. We unfortunatelydidnothaveanychildren.

Amongst other things I enjoy sailing, walking and golf in the sporting arena. Other pastimes include reading,musicandtheatre.Ialsohaveapassionforclassiccars.

Atthisstagemyhealthisstillgood.

IamgratefultothelearningexperienceIhadatWits.

9.32 Schultz,EdwinA

BSc(ENG),CEng,PrEng,MICE,MSAICE.

IntroductionandEarlyLife

Born04.09.1950inVredefort,OFS.

1957–1963:PrimaryschoolOdensiainOdendaalsrus.

1964: Standard 6 at Welkom high. 1965 to 1968: STD 7 to matric at CapricornHighinPietersburg.

1969: Army gymnasium in Heidelberg Transvaal, 2nd lieutenant. Played EasternTransvaalu20rugby.

1970to1975WitsUniversity.Played1st teamrugby.

Spent 3 years in 2nd year mainly because I worked as a driver for Fidelity Guards and missed a lot of lectures and tuts – Mr Hofmeyer wanted me kicked out but luckily Prof Jennings gave me another chance which got me into gear to finish and have a fulfilling career. Ivan Schwartz was also supportive and a good influence.

Career

FirstjobwaswithKeeveSteynInc.stayedwiththemfor24years–1975–2000:becameanassociate at 30(1980) anddivisionaldirector at 40(1990). First 3 years inJoburg andon site in Richards Bay. Moved to Durban in 1978 and worked onmainly larger tunnelling projects and then the last 7years with KSworked in Lesotho on the Highlands Water Project as ResidentEngineer on the TransferTunnel and intakestructure andthenasChiefResidentEngineerontheMohaleTunnel.Iworkedmainlyonrelativelylargerprojects,first thedesign,thenthedocumentationandtenderprocessandalsositesupervisionandIdevelopedapassionfor tunnellingandundergroundworks.

Obtained PrEng in 1979 and C. Eng in 1986. Won the Fulton Award for excellence in the use of concrete inabout1986for theGlenwood Tunnelprecast segmental tunnelliningdesignandcaissonterminal structure in Pigeon Valley Park to protect indigenous trees; fluted milk woods and natal elms; Beat the new EllisParkrugbystadiumamongstothersintheprocess. Authored/co-authoredninepublicationsontunnels.

In2000,IleftKSandworkedontheTaiwanHighSpeedRailwayProjectasresidentengineeronthe civil worksand depots until 2006. Awonderfulexperience andI learntthatour South African universityand engineering training put us in good shape to manage large international construction projects. Some of our counterpartsfrom the UK,USA,AustraliaandNZ,whose engineers tendedmoreto specialiseina particular subjectlikestructuresand,pilingorearthworksforexample.Thiswasagargantuanprojectof12simultaneous civil contracts, each approximately 30km long and overall consisting of 53km of 13m diameter tunnels, and 285kmofviaduct.Ihadtoquicklyadapttoworkingwithnationalitiesfromaroundtheworldinsuccessfully deliveringthis complicatedproject.Managingthe interfaces between the civil, track and equipping contracts waschallenging.

I returned to SA and worked on the Gautrain rapid rail project as the section manager as the client’s representative for the construction monitoring of the 15km underground section between park station and Marlboro, including the 3 stations: Park, Rosebank and Sandton. I was disenchanted by the concessionaire’s internal quality management system, particularly with regards to the shotcrete lining to the drill and blast tunnels, so I left in 2008 and went to Qatar where I was the construction manager in charge of all the infrastructure contracts forthe developmentof Education City. This was anotherverylarge project valued at US$12billion. The infrastructure was valued at US$3billion, encompassing 26 concurrent infrastructure contracts.IretiredinMay2012whenmywifegotillandmovedbacktoourhomeinKloof,KZN.

PersonalLife

MarriedinJuly1971whileatWits–wifesupporteduswhileIwasastudent. One son Gregory, b. 1972, now in Canada. Two daughters, Natasha, b. 1973 now in Auckland, New ZealandandSheri,b.1980nowinSunshineCoast,Australia.Eachhas2children(6grandchildren-onlyone grandsonwhoisinNZ).Proudofhowtheyareallconductingtheirlives.

Made some good friends at Wits, in particular Keith Miller and Tim Parton whom I remember both withaffection.

While in Richards Bay, I learnt how to fish in the sea and have been hooked ever since. I stopped playingrugbyandswitchedtosoccerinsteadandqualifiedfortheZululandteam.

WhileinKloof,DurbanKZN, Iranfour ComradesMarathons, and IjoinedRound Tableandserved astreasurerandchairmanduringmymembershipthere.

Whenin Lesotho Ilearnt howto fly fishfor wild troutin the crystal clearfast flowing small rivers–whatanincredibleprivilege!

Istartedgolfinthesecondyear,andthisalsocontributedto the missed lectures! I still play golf twice a week. In Taiwan we playedonmanydifferentbeautifulgolfcourses.

My best achievement was my marriage – we started going outtogetherinmatricin1968andweretogetherfor45yearsbefore she passedawayin2013.Thethreechildrenwe producedarealsoa blessing.

WetravelledalotwhenwewereinTaiwanandQatar.From as far east as Guam, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand (and Phuket and PhiPhi islands), Singapore, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Austria, Germany, UK, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Australia, and NZ. A trip to Tuscany in Italy is highly recommended.

I sincerely believe that being a civil engineer contributed a lottomehavingafulfillingpersonallife.

9.33 Sullivan,JohnLawrence

Iwasborn,theeldestofsevenchildren,inBulawayoinDecember1952 andhavelivedheremywholelife,apartfromtheyearsatWitsandbushstints.

Commenced my studies for Civil Engineering in January 1971, after arriving bytrainin Braamfontein witha steeltrunkand a suitcase,funded by a Rhodesian Government Cadetship – a modified bursary that enabled me to payforfeesandresidenceoutofamonthlysalary.

Havingdone‘A’Levels,Iwasgrantedsomeexemptionsallowingmeto dotwoofoursecond-yearsubjects.

AtWits,Ilivedfor3yearsoncampus,inMen’sResidence,atDalrymple House,enjoyingthefriendshipofmanygreatmen,academically,andinsport, from a wide range of backgrounds and philosophies. During second year, on alightercivilengineeringtimetable,andduringmy‘gap-year’,ItooksomeB. Comm. Courses, becoming a firm believer in greater levels of free trade, currentlyasomewhatcontentiousissue.

Sport&SocialatWits

After serving on Fresher’s Reception Committee, House Committee, the Inter-Varsity Rugby Committee(somehowthatwasthelasttimeWitsplayedTuksforalongtime!)andotherminorinvolvements I was elected Vice-Chairman of Men’s Residence, with the prospect of taking over Ken Costa’s enormous apartmentinDalrympleHouse–butthatwasallwhippedfromundermyfeetwhenIhadtogooutandfinish my third-year studies with a year of work in a consulting firm, after the somewhat disastrous experience of failingmy‘supp’inMathsTopicsB9

At this juncture I must admit embarrassment at some of my over-exuberance in the drinking arena, with beers at the Dev only 17c a pint in those days; since then, various factors have almost weaned me right off it! To our lecturers and others whom I must surely have offended or disappointed on the way, I extend a belatedandsincereapology10

I played as much rugby as I could, for Res, Engineering faculty and Wits 3rds and 4ths, with more gusto than brilliance, but I even managed a couple of brief appearances for Wits Second XV. (NZ’s Colin Meadsalsocametocoachorencourageusbriefly.)

Ikeptfiti,burninguptestosteronewithalotoftraining,especiallyrunning11 aroundthebeautifulhilly suburbsNorthofWits,aswellassquash12 andworkoutsattheWitsGym.

Work,CareerandBusiness

After graduating, I completed my National Service, as a Lieutenant in the Rhodesian Corps of Engineers. After the extended call-ups, I served out my contracted time as a resident engineer or rural and security road construction, during some pretty hot war years, before I joined my father and built up our civil andstructuralcontractingcompany,SullivansEngineeringfromMarch1979.

Webuiltseveralbridges,factories,anelevatedconcretewatertower,pipelines,repackedmanycooling towers, did structural steelwork, including girders for the Eastgate Centre, next door to the Meikles Hotel in Harare,whichwontheSAISCawardforthebeststeelprojectin1995ii

When things seemed to be going well, we bought two furniture manufacturing businesses, which we combinedintotheBaobab13 FurnitureCompanyuntilwesoldthatbusinessto‘sticktotheknitting’.

A subsidiary, Zimbabwe Valves, manufactures BARET Pinch Valves, for tough slurry conditions in mining, mainly on spigots and tailings lines. When I needed to get our valve manufacturing business

9 MathsTopicsBwasallaboutsomeveryusefulcontortionslikematrices,LaplaceTransformsandother‘must-knows’thatIhad clearlyunder-ratedinmyenthusiasmtomakethemostofuniversity lifeingeneral!

10 Ifellintooenthusiasticallywithsomerugbyandres-mateswhoreckonedanythingover51%meantIwasnotfullyenjoyingthe sport,beersandsociallife.

11 IranComradesMarathon,withouttheclosecompanyofDaveLevick,TrevorParryandothers,whoranonaheadabit-butIdid come664th,whichsoundsprettygoodnowadayswhenthefieldrunstoover20,000,Ithink.

12 Ononlyoneoccasionever,attheWitsSquashCourts,IbeatmygoodfriendTrentonOdgers,atsquash,butneverreturnedthe matchoncehehadrecognisedthelethalpotentialofthehome-maderepairsthatIhadmadetomyoldsquashracquet.

13 Weusedpine,mukwaandteak,notBaobabwood

certifiedsothatwecouldpursueexportstotheUSA,IstudiedformyCity&GuildsinQualityAssuranceand wentontosecureISO9002certificationinQualityAssurance.

Ilostfocusatonetime andour engineeringcompanysufferedfromafailedfraternalpartnershipthat putanendtoourcivilandstructuralcontracting,exceptforafewsmallerprojectsandsomeworkdonewhen ourson,MichaelcameoutfromUKandgaveusarevitalisingboostforabout4years.

I enjoyed working in partnership with Peter Edmeades for a couple of very interesting years as a consultingengineer,butfamilyandbusinessrequirementsforcedmebackintomyoldroles.

I have served or held links with various grades of membership in the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers,Institutionof CivilEngineers,InstitutionofStructuralEngineers, andSouth AfricanInstitution of CivilEngineers.Mostlylapsednow.

Philosophies,Community&Interests

Despite all the obvious evidence and stark realities of misrule and corruption, I remain one of those simplesortswhostaysput,hereinSouthernAfrica,inmyoldhometownandcommunity,confidentlyawaiting, whatsurelymust be aninevitableturnaround–myfour brothers, now allin USA, think Isimplydon’t know what’sgoingon!

The School of Life has been good to me and I have learned, occasionally at huge cost, some really usefullessons.

PastPresidentofRotaryClubofBulawayoSouthandtheCatenianAssociation.

Past Presidentof MatabelelandChamber of Industries–Ichairedthe ZimbabweTradeDevelopment CommitteeoftheConfederationofZimbabweIndustriesforafewhopefulyears.

MyRomanCatholicfaithisimportantinmylifeandourfamily’s.ServedasTreasurerandPresident of the Catenian Associationas well as Treasurer and Chairmanof the Parish Council. Iwrote a biography of aCatholicMissionary,FatherOdiloWeegerCMM,hopefullycapturingsomeimportanthistoryandethos.

The Matopos Hills and Mount Inungu hold a special place in my life and provide me with the opportunityto‘changethechannel’andreviveeachweekend.(Wekeepafewcattleandhavesofarprovided 19offspringtothelocalLeopardSupportProgramme,ablyrunbytheleopardsthemselves.)

Family,FriendsandSocial

Imarried abeautiful andintelligent Bulawayogirl, a Chartered Accountant, Wallis Greig Johnstone, 23rdDecember1978,andwehavefourgreatchildren.Theyhavedoneusproudwith10grandchildren:seven boysandthreegirls.

I have had the opportunity to travel widely, including an adventurous drive in 2000, with our son, Michael, from Bulawayo to Nairobi in our Land Rover Discovery, with an escorted climb up Mt Kilimanjaro, the world’s highest peak, measured from its base to the summit just above its glacier.

We live a relatively quiet and isolated life but always enjoy and welcome the company of friends. For severalyears,whilewehadtheenergy, weusedtohostwhatgrewtobequitea large and festive neighbourhood ‘BreakfastBash’on22ndDecemberat ourhomeinBurnside.

9.34 VanAswegen,Francois

I have enjoyed a very varied career since graduating in 1975, which encompassed municipal engineering, consulting engineering, property development, waste management and consulting to JohannesburgWaterandvariouslocalauthoritiesduringthelatteryears.

Ihavethreetertiaryqualifications,vizBSc(Civil)Engineering, a Graduate Diploma in Engineering, and a Master of Business Administration degree (all obtained at the University of the Witwatersrand).

I obtained a bursary from the Johannesburg City Council and was employedbythe CityEngineer’s Departmentfrom 1976to1980.I undertooktheengineeringplanninganddesignofvariousinfrastructure projects and was the resident engineer on the construction of 50 Ml reservoirsunkbelowtheskylineintothekopjesaboveLinksfieldRidge.

During the next four years, I joined O’Connell Manthe and Partners Inc as contracts engineer responsible for the management and administration of a number of construction projects. These were productive and exciting times in the early 1980’s when the government poured substantial resources into the electrificationandupgradingofSoweto.Isupervisedtheconstructionoffourmajorwaterreservoirs,twowater towers,manykilometresoflargediameterwaterpipelinesandnumerousnewhighschools.

I then joined Rand Mines Properties from 1984 to 1988 whose focus was on the development of commercial, industrial and residential townships on disused mining land emanating from the Rand Mines stable. I was responsible for the management of the town planning and township engineering aspects of developments, and also involvement in the slimes dam reclamation and rehabilitation aspects, which cleared largetractsoflandfortownshipdevelopment.Aninterestingaspectwasthedevelopmentofpropertiesabove theerstwhilegoldbearingreefs.

Duringthenexttwo years,IjoinedFHAHomeswhose businesswasfocussedonthemiddle-income residential property development market, mainly in the Witwatersrand area. Here I was responsible for managing the township establishment, land servicing, land acquisition and research and development operations.Thisresultedintheconstructionandsaleofalargenumberofhomestocaterforthenewentrants intotheSouthAfricaneconomy.

During the following two years I relocated to Durban from Johannesburg and joined Pebblebrook Investments(Pty)Ltd,focussingonthedevelopmentofaresortinthenorthernDrakensberg.Iwasresponsible for managing the township establishment, professional team design work, tender evaluation, financial forecasting, and procurement of finance and marketing of the development. This resulted in obtaining the developmentrightstoestablishanenvironmentallyacceptablesolutiontoestablish100unitsinaverysensitive area.

I then moved back to Johannesburg and joined the Johannesburg City Council, which morphed into the Greater Johannesburg Transition Metropolitan Council. This was a stint from 1991 to 1996. This was duringtheheadyandexcitingdayswhenthecountrywasundergoingfundamentalpoliticalchange.Myinitial rolewasasDirector:ConsultingEngineering,followedbytheroleofExecutiveDirector:Planningresponsible for the integrated planning and physical development throughout the region by managing five technical and twoservicedepartments.

From1996to2000,asStrategicExecutive:TechnicalServices,Iwasresponsiblefortheprovisionof water, wastewater, roads and stormwater reticulation, waste management and technical support services for one ofthefournewMetropolitanCouncils.Duringthelast yearIwasapproachedbythe citytotakethelead role to ensure the creation of a new Waste Management Utility for Johannesburg by December 2000. This involvedtheamalgamationofstaff,vehicles,resourcesandassetsfromtheerstwhileJohannesburgCity Council, Randburg Town Council, Roodepoort City Council, Midrand Town Council and Soweto TownCouncilintoasingleprivatecompany,whichwasthebirthofPikitupJohannesburg(Pty)Ltd.

I then joined Pikitup Johannesburg (Pty) Ltd as a Director from 2001 to 2009, responsible for the overall strategic direction of the company, development of a business turn-around strategy, development of business plans, growing the company’s commercial market share, ensuring excellent customer relations and directing the disposal operations of the company. Further responsibilities included contract management functions,environmentalmanagementprojectsandcommunications.

Atthisstageinmycareer,IdecidedthatIhadhadenough ofthe stressesandstrains ofthecorporate worldandrevertedtomyrootsasacivilengineer.IjoinedSAICEProfessionalDevelopmentandProjectsand fulfilled the role of a consultant to utilities and municipalities. From 2009 to 2011, I assisted Johannesburg Water (Pty) Ltd with the project management and implementation of large capital projects in the water and wastewater fields as well as mentoring a number of junior staff members and assisting graduates with professional registration.Towardsthelatterpartof this stint,thisincludedtheexecutionofa wasteto energy project.

From 2011 to 2016 I assisted the Merafong City Local Municipality under the auspices of the DevelopmentBankofSouthernAfricaandtheMunicipal Infrastructure SupportAgent.Iwasresponsiblefor providingtechnicalandprojectmanagementsupportfortheimplementationofnumerousprojectsandensuring skillstransfer.Iretiredattheendofthisperiod.

UteandIwillbecelebratingourgoldenweddinganniversaryattheendofthisyear.Michelleandher familyliveinHermanusandChristoffandhisfamilyareinLondon.

Wehavebeenfortunateenoughtotravelquiteextensivelyovertheyears,bothabroadandlocally.Ute andIbothbowlatalocalbowlingclubandItryandgetinasmuchgolfasIcan.

Francois, Ute, Michelle and Christoff

9.35 Wridgway,Robert

 BorninBenoni,16November1952.

 Grew up in Benoni and matriculated from Benoni High Schoolin1970.

 Completed1yearofmilitaryservicewiththeSAAFin1971.

 GraduatedwithEngineeringDegreefromWitsUniversityin 1975–BSc(Civil).

 ObtainedmyMBLDegreefromUNISAin1992.

Immediately after graduation from Wits University I began my engineeringcareerwiththeMunicipalityofBenoniin1976asIhadreceived abursaryfromtheMunicipalityformyuniversitystudiesandIhadtowork offmyobligations.

While working for Benoni I gained extensive experience in all facetsofmunicipalengineering.Iworkedmywayuptheranksandbecame City Engineer of Benoni in 1988. As City Engineer I was the head of the roads, stormwater, water, wastewater, town planning, building inspection, buildingmaintenanceandconstruction,wastewatertreatmentandsolidwastedisposaldepartmentsintheCity.

Some of my accomplishments during this period were the construction of the Rynfield wastewater treatmentplant,designandconstructionoftheDunswartBridgeandbypassroad,designandconstructionthe Crystal Park water supply pump station (one of the first in South Africa to use variable frequency drives eliminatingtheneedtobuildawatertower),installationofoneofthefirstInsituformpipelinersusedinsewer rehabilitationin South Africa, construction of the J.P. Maraiswastewater treatment plant, construction of the pedestrianmallintheheartofBenoni’sCBD,EditorofIMIESA(JournalofInstitutionofMunicipalEngineers inSA),negotiationswiththeANCandtheirrepresentativeNGO’sduringthetransitionfromtheapartheidera resultingintheestablishmentofanewfullyservicedlanddevelopment(Tamboville)completedinarecord6 monthsprovidinganalternativetoaninformalsettlementontheland.

In1994IemigratedtoVancouver,Canadaandstarteda newphase inmycareermakingthedecision tomoveintoConsultingEngineering.

When I arrived in Canada in June of 1994, I was lucky enough to be immediately employed by WestmarConsultants.Theyspecializedinmarineengineeringwithsomeassociatedmunicipalinfrastructure. Formeitturnedouttobeagoodstepping-stoneintoConsultingEngineeringinCanada.

At the end of 1994 I left Westmar and went to Dayton & Knight (D&K) a consulting company that specializedinwaterandwastewatersystemsespeciallypumpstations,treatmentplantsandreservoirs.During my time with D&K I gained valuable experience in their area of expertise. They primarily concentrated on workingforgovernmentsectorsandnotfortheprivatesector.In1998thegovernmentsectorfundingdriedup resultinginadiminishedworkloadforD&K.

At the end of 1998 I moved on to work for a local branch of Associated Engineering, a large internationalengineeringconsultingcompany.

Beginningof2000IwasapproachedbythePresidentofAplin&MartinConsultants(A&M),withan offer to join the company as a partner shareholder in a senior position. I immediately accepted and joined A&MinMarchof2000.A&Misamultidisciplinarycompany(engineering,townplanning,architecture,land surveying)focusingonmunicipalinfrastructureandlanddevelopmentprojects.Mysection’sfocuswasmainly on water, wastewater and stormwater systems especially pump stations, treatmentplants and reservoirs, both for the public and private sectors. In addition, my section would take on the occasional land development project.

Some of my accomplishments included receiving the ‘Award of Excellence’ from Engineers & Geoscientist British Columbia (EGBC) for innovative and eco-friendly design of a large stormwater pump station (pumping capacity 6,000 litres/second) for the City of Richmond, the ‘Award of Merit’ from EGBC

for innovative and eco-friendly design of another large stormwater pump station (pumping capacity 4,000 litres/second) for theCity of Richmond,editor of the Watermark(Journalof the BritishColumbiaWater and Waste Association (BCWWA), presenting several papers at BCWWA annual conferences, chairman of the BritishColumbiabranchoftheWaterforPeopleorganisation.

Ieventuallysemi-retiredwhenCOVIDhitin2021butstilldosomepart-timeconsultingforA&M.

I was first married in 1975 and we had two children, a daughter and a son. We emigrated to Canada with our children in 1994, but my wife was unhappy here, so we separated in 1998 and she moved to SA leavingmeandthetwochildreninCanada.

In 2000 I was fortunate enough to meet my present wife, Sandy,whohasoneson.Wehavebeenhappytogethereversince. She has her own successful business and together we have achievedalot.Mydaughter,Loren,ismarriedwithtwodaughters, Megan&Lily.Sheisaschoolteacheratanelementaryschool.My son Adin is married but they have no children. He is a successful IT professional and works as a software engineer for a large international recruiting company. Sandy’s son, Rhys, is married withtheirfirstchilddueinSeptember.Heisasurveyorforalarge constructionCompany.

The reason that Sandy and I are so happy together is because we both enjoy the same things. We both love golfing, walking, gardening, camping and traveling together. I must also mention that Sandy is an excellent cook, and we like to entertain ourfamilyandfriendsregularly.Wehaveatraveltrailer(caravan) that we use for camping and make a point of camping at various placesaroundtheprovinceseveraltimesayear.

We have also travelled extensively over the years and togetherwehavebeenfortunatetohavevisitedover25countries.Wearebothfortunatetoenjoygoodhealth andweplantodoalotmoreinternationaltravelandmorecampingoverthenextfewyears.

All said I am happy to look back on my life and not regret any of the decisions I have made. I made the right choice of profession and enjoyed a successful career. Emigrating to Canada proved to be a great choice.

10.DeceasedClassmates

10.1 Ian Clements March 2018 – Vancouver Canada

Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Ian Kenneth Clements lived a life marked by intellect, quiet strength, and an enduring curiosity. A proud alumnus of Queens High School in Johannesburg, Ian pursued Civil Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand and later earned an MBA, reflecting his dedication to both technical excellenceandcontinuouslearning.

Ian’s career in engineering began in the Transportation Division of the Johannesburg Municipality, where he laid the groundwork for what would become a distinguishedcareer,ultimatelyspecialisinginTransportationEngineering.

He went on to join Freyssinet, gaining valuable experience in structural engineering before going on to become a Director of Stanway Edwards Associates, wherehisleadershipandinsightwerehighlyregarded.

After relocating to Vancouver, Canada, Ian brought his expertise to BC TransLinkas a revered consultant, contributing significantly to the city’s transportation infrastructure where he wasdirectlyresponsible for the planning,implementationandoperationalization of Vancouver’sfirst Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System. Meticulous and measured in his approach,colleagues admired his thoughtful problem-solving,andquietbuteffectiveleadership.

Ian’sdeepsenseofsocialresponsibilityextendedfarbeyondhisprofession.Asacommittedmember of Round Table, he served with distinction as both Area Chairman and National Public Relations Officer, actively championing initiatives that brought meaningful support to communities in need. At a time when social divisions ran deep, Ian’s leadership was marked by compassion, inclusivity, and the courage to look beyond prejudice. His efforts reflected a genuine belief in the dignity of all people—principles that quietly guidedhisactionsthroughouthislife.

Outside the realm of engineering,Ian brought the same meticulous planning and eye for detail to his creative pursuits, findinggreatjoyinhands-oncraftsmanship.Athisbelovedthreestory log cabin nestled in the mountains of British Columbia, he single-handedlydesignedandrebuiltitsgrandentryway—alasting symbolofhiscraftsmanshipandconnectiontonature.

Ian was married twice—first to Lynn,andlatertoDale—andwasadevotedfathertohisdaughters, KarenandKirsten.

Though he passed before the births of his grandsons, Austin and Blake, hislegacy lives oninthem, andinthe valuesof integrity,resilience,andcuriosityheinstilledinthosearoundhim.

A memorial service was held on March 8, 2018, at Grace Vancouver Church,wherefamilyandfriendsgatheredto honoura lifeofquietexcellence,meaningfulcontribution,anddeeppersonal integrity.

IanKennethClementsisrememberedwithgreatadmirationandaffectionbyallwhoknewhim.

GraciouslyprovidedbyKarenClements

10.2

Bernie Krone

MyprivilegedviewofBernardKrone 14th June 1953 - 11th May 2021

“Therearepeoplewhocontinuetolighttheworldthough they are no longer among the living” through their presenceandactiontheysharedwithus.

Bernie’s abilities to some extent can be attributed to his humblebeginningswhichhonedhisresilience,versatility,quickthinking and decisiveness. His leadership was engaging and motivational.Alargeandintimidatingpresencecontrastedwithhiscompassionateandgenerousheart. Comfortable in himself, warm, humorous, and open, Bernie’s sense of purpose considered ability, pace,andquantity;hisinclusivityvaluedallpeople;hiswordwashisbond,andhisorganisationalskillswere predictably efficiently reliable. Together with these attributes and his passion, his enthusiastic approach to a lifepropelledinthepresentfuelledthesuccessinhisprofessionalcareer.

BorninHalstead,England,hemovedattheageof8toSouthAfricawithhisparentsandoldersister. When 12 he attended Rustenburg Hoër Skool for a year, followed by St Martin’s Anglican school for boys, matriculatingfirstclassin1970.

HegraduatedasaCivilEngineerfromWitsin1975,whichincludedtheexperienceofmanyholidays worked at Frankipile assisting estimator and contracts managers. In 1976 he was employed by Ground Engineering(PTY)Ltd(GEL),asubsidiaryofLTA,firstasaContractsEngineerandthenContractsManager, where he rapidly gained invaluable experience in pipe-jacking, ground anchoring, shotcrete, grouting, piling and other ground stabilisation techniques and a reputation as a highly regarded young engineer. It was here wherehemetAntonNaude,andPeterSharland-whowasinstrumentalinhisrequesttojointheJohannesburg branchofEsorGroundEngineering(Pty)Ltd(EGE)in1981-laterbrandedESOR,andDrRossParry-Davies, an invaluablementor in Bernie’slife. ESOR, Rose spelt backwards, was startedin Natal byJoachim Rose, a civilengineerwhohadcrossedtheborderillegallyfromEastGermany.

Bernie believed he was fortunate in being in the right place at the right time, however “the ultimate measureofamanisnotwherehestandsinmomentsofcomfort&convenience,butwherehestandsattimes ofchallengeandcontroversy”.Berniewashandson,leadfromthefront,yetparticipative,andwhentheodds wereagainsthim,whichwereseverelytested,hehadthedrive,thestaying-power,andthecommitmenttosee itthrough.

Life-changingmomentsandkeysuccessesweretheDrosteParkreliefsewerwhereESORprovideda pipejackingalternative(trenchlesstechnologystillinitsinfancy)totheconventionaltunnellingcontractissued by the Water & Sanitationdepartment of Johannesburg City Council. Work wascompleted ontime. It wasa win for both contractor and client and with the technique of pipejacking now firmly established more successfulawardsfollowedinthemajormunicipalitiesandmostimportantlyRandWaterBoard.“Pipejacking isadeceptivelysimple,high-risktechnologythathasareputationworld-wideasbeingacruelMistress”.

Next,Berniequotedfor thenewSAReserveBankbasementinPretoriain 1982. It wasESOR’sfirst biglateralsupportcontract,atacoolOnemillionRand,andamajormilestoneforBernieandESOR.Thiswas followed by Blennies, an 11 floor, 48 metre deep, area of two rugby fields defence force bunker. The company’s goal of diversification had been achieved in two years. Besides the job spread to the east, south andwest,many1980projectswerePretoria-basedcontrastingwithJohannesburginthe1990’shighlightedby new head offices for the Banks, FNB and ABSA to name a few. In the 2000’s Sandton Square and Sandton developments prevailed. Bernie led many key projects over the years,far toomany to itemise, but one needs to mentionthe geotechnical scope and tunnelling complexity of the Malvern tunnel for Rand Water Board,a majorpersonalachievement,probablyBernie’smostdifficultandbest.

Significantpersonalawardsandmembershipsare:

 ProfessionalEngineer1982fromtheEngineeringCouncil

 aMemberofTheSouthAfricanInstitutionofCivilEngineers1982

 JEJenningsAwardfor1991,hiscontributiontothe1989CodeofPracticeonLateralSupport inSurfaceExcavations

 FellowoftheSouthAfricanInstitutionofCivilEngineering2006

 SouthAfricanGeotechnicalGoldMedalAwardfor2007

Corporatedevelopmentsare:

 ListingESORontheJSE’sAltXinMarch2006,atwhichpointBerniewasCEOofESOR

 ESORLtdboughtFrankiAfricainAugust2006

 Bernie went on to expand the business into sub-Saharan Africa and Mauritius and to elevate thecompanytotheJSEMainboardin2009

 Non-ExecChairmanin2014

Bernie’sleadershiphelpedpositionthefirmasaregionalpowerhouseinthefieldhowever nomanis an island and supportive good will came from many corners over the thirty-three years, from his fellow directors, consulting engineers, and invaluable ‘core’ builders within the company and elsewhere. In 2013, BernieledtheR500millionsaleoftheEsorFrankigeotechnicaldivisiontoTheKellerGroupplc.Hedescribed thedealas"cuttingoutmyheartandgivingittosomebodyelse,"showinghowpersonallyinvestedhewasin the business he built. He retired in 2018. In 2019 fuelling his passion for the outdoors, he travelled with his wifearoundSouthAfricaandasix-monthscampingandhikingtripinNorthAmerica

AcommittedfamilymantohiswifeMartie,4sons,2daughters,thegreaterfamily,grandfatherto5, now8,andcounting….

Active involvement in varied sports kept Bernie fit, healthy and mentally astute whether by canoeingourmanyrivers,especiallycompletingmany Dusi and Umkomaas marathons; running, which included a couple of Comrades Marathons; innumerableannualcyclingevents–Argus,CapeEpic, Sani2C,Mad2CyclefromJohannesburgtoCapeTown; swimmingMidmarandtrekkingKilimanjarotwice.

He supported young engineers,sportsmen and Freemasons, sports clubs and their activities, giving generously through inspirational mentorship and donations.

A member of Rand club, a chairman and life member of Johannesburg Canoe Club (JCC), building its boathouse, he also held various portfolios at Wits rowing club, Vikings, Wemmer Pan Aquatic Club (WPAC) and Transvaal Underwater Research group (TURG),allresidedatWemmerPan.

AcommittedFreemasonsince1995,heembodieditsprinciplesof Integrity,Friendship,Respectand Charity, being involved in multiple Lodges and specialised orders besides his mother Lodge, Corona, and a dedicated fund-raiser, mentionable the Annual Box & Dine, rising to Assistant District Grand Master (SA Northern). Bernie enjoyed many interests from birding, fishing, hunting, bridges, books, puzzles, to embroidery and quilting. A larger-than life entertainer in both word and song, generating lots of poems and dittiesovertheyears.

Bernie hoped that when he reached his 80s, “in a rocking chair, he'd still see the ESOR brand going forward". Sadly, this wasn’t to be as he left us too early. However, he certainly played his part “as without CivilEngineeringthereisnocivilisation”,andinhischosenfield,Berniecertainlymadehismark.

Graciously provided by Martie Krone

NoticefoundonFaceBook

List of deceased class members (as best as could be ascertained)

10.4 RobHulme December1976(PlanecrashSunCity)

10.5 BarryDevenish,28April2017

10.6 EJStern

10.7 FMKropfitsch-Austria

10.8 IanVos,7December2024

10.9 JeremyWaterman,16October2021

10.10 ACHill

Whittaker Michael

11. Appendices

11.1CelebrationArrangements

Errol Kerst, after some informal discussion with Francis Gibbons sent out an early warning email late in 2024. Following on a small team comprising Rob Bandini, Francis Gibbons, Wouter De Gidts, and Errol Kerst put together a list of ideas while visiting Alumni Affairs Offices on 11 March 2025. John Sullivan was not present but he had offered to assist so we roped him in. Peter Maher graciously offered a venue and his time to guide us in our deliberations.

Thisresultedinthefollowingprogram:

Thursday16October–Golfgameforthosethatplaygolf.

Friday17th October

Startingfrom09h00

1 Visit to School of Civil Engineering (H1 and H2 lecture rooms, the various laboratories,addressbyHoDoranotherprofessorifheisnotavailable.) ProfYunis Ballimwillbeourhost.

2 VisittotheOriginsCentre,whichisreallyinteresting.Open09h00to17h00cost R90peradult,SeniorsandStaff,(Iguesswefallintothat category)R70.

3 Thereisacoffeeshophereforrefreshments.

4 Campustour–AlumniAffairs.

5 Visittonew“DigitalDome”whichistherecentlytransformedplanetarium.Alumni Affairs.

6 EndatWits ClubforalatelunchatOlivesandPlaterestaurant.This cangoonfor aslongaswewantintheBarnfacilitytogivetheclass-matestimetoreminisceetc. Mustendby17h00.Anonlinefacilitywilbearrangedforthemembersoverseasor locallywhoareunabletoattend. Wivesandpartnersarefreetojoinin.

Saturday18th October

ADinnerwillbeheldforclass-matesandwives/partnersatBryanstonCountryClub. Thiswillalsobeforeachperson’sownaccountandplace issecuredbypayingtherequireddeposit.

Classof75BOOK

Errol and John will put the book together in a ready to print PDF format so that it is easytodistributeandanyonecangetalocalprintertoprintandbindforthemiftheysodesire. AfewhardcopieswilbemadeforhandingovertotheDepartmentontheday. Any members who want a copy can order by paying upfront.Detailswillbeprovidedonceavailable.

Communication

We will communicate via email or WhatsApp and hold Zoom or Teams meeting if necessary.

11.2 PromptNotesforClassmateBiographiesandRecollections

TheBiographieswereguidedbysomePromptNotes1 preparedby JohnSullivan. Theseareincludedhereforcompleteness.

Yougraduatedin1975andweallwentourdifferentways.

For our 50th Graduation anniversary this year, 2025, Errol Kerst is arranging a gettogetherand weare askingyoutosendhim abriefbiography. It mayeven becompiledintoa commemorativebook.

Please reminisce, recall, sort and make some notes. For the Wits Class of 75, it is suggestedthatthebiobeuptotwoA4pages;ifitismoreitmayneedabitofeditinginorder tokeepeverybody’sbioofsimilarlength.(Perhapsthisshouldincludetwosignificantphotos, inadditiontotheportraitorfamilyphoto.)

Apart from thisevent,thereis avalue in writing downsomememories andanecdotes, perhapsasmallpartofwhatyouwouldliketotellyourchildrenandfuturedescendants.Itcan beastartingpointforamoredetailedandpersonalandpurelyfamilymemoir.

You have your own treasure of achievements and observations from your work, even ifthishasmovedawayfromourcivilengineeringdiscipline.

Extendedrecollections

This is also an interesting exercise for us. The output becomes a little summary for familyorotherannals,but itisalife reviewprocessthatremindsusofmanyexperiences and attainmentsthatwetendtopushasideorplaydownwhichsometimesbecomesafalsehumility. Itusuallytakessomepromptingandcollaborationtogetonetoputpentopaper.Most people, quite wrongly, think that their family or friends are not really interested in their life story. Most people are also not really aware of the amazing string of events, people, inspirations,enjoymentsandgoodthingsthathavehappenedintheirlives.

Eachandeverypersonhaslivedandexperiencedmany,personalandinterestingevents andunderstandings.Eachhumanlifeisinfinitelyprecious.Eachlifestoryisabsolutelyunique, no matter what general similarities might exist within families, communities or other groupings.

As we mature, we definitely look back from time to time and recall all sorts of things from our lives, our childhood, our family, education, work, sports, social and love lives, accidents, achievements, faith and inspirations, films, books, news events, world affairs and theirimpactsonourbeingsandthosethatsurroundus.

Often there have been humorous incidents that have already been retold on more than one occasion, and perhaps children and close friends have even pushed for retellings of these particular stories. Putting them down in writing is a great opportunity to pass on records like thatforfuturegenerationstoenjoy.

There are bound to be some regrets, missed opportunities, mistakes made, slip-ups or troubles that are part and parcel of life, but this can be a time to consider them, put them in perspective,andtodecidewhetherornottoactuallymakenotesorrecordsuchthings.

1 Your life and career have been full of fascinating and interesting experiences and observations, unique to you, of course. Everybody has a story, and we as classmates look forward to sharing in each other’s stories and wishing one another well, through successes and probably a few tough lessons along the way.

Sometimes people have come into our lives with unfortunate or even terrible consequences. Perhaps they deserve only a brief mention, but in other cases reviewing their effectonus,orthosearoundus,canexplainorhelpinunderstandingmajormovesordecisions thatinfluencedourlife.

Cultures and the variety of heritages and traditions play an interesting role in many people’s lives.Theremayhavebeenclashesofideas,language,behavioursandissuesaround regulations,officialdom,passports,voting,nationalprideorembarrassment,readyacceptance orconfrontationswithnewrelatives.

People with a good memory or keen observational skills will have an advantage, but everypersoniscapableofrecallingandreviewingthemaindetailsoftheirownlifestory.

This record should be truthful and thoughtfully compiled, or else there is not much purposeorbenefitintheprocess.

Whenyou enlarge thisbeyondthe Classof 75Bioit isimportanttoknow forwhom a moredetailedcompilationisbeingdone.Thescaleofexposurewillhaveastronginfluenceon the degree of intimacy, personal details, self-disclosure. Each level will have its own appropriate material and could even be adjusted to provide more or less content for different persons.

 ASpouse

 Children

 Grandchildren

 Widerfamily

 Closefriends

 Aclosecommunitygroup

 Wider,morepubliclocalcommunity

 Generalpublic

The process maybe initiated and developed in a variety of ways. An outlinemay give guidanceandensurethatasmanyusefulideasandrecollectionsareincluded.

Atimelineisusefultoprovideaframework.Thiscouldevenincludedatesandrelevant historicorfamilyevents,tojogmemory.

A more detailed personal summary is recommended for the benefit of family and generationstocome,butthisisintendedforourclassmates

Thefurtherprocess,ifitisembarkedupon,maybedevelopedinavarietyofways.An outlinemaygiveguidanceandensurethatasmanyusefulideasandrecollectionsareincluded. Atimelineisusefultoprovideaframework.Thiscouldevenincludedatesandrelevanthistoric orfamilyevents,tojogmemory.

11.3EcclesiastesChapter3

1 There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven:

2 A time for giving birth, a time for dying; a time for planting, a time for uprooting what has been planted.

3 A time for killing, a time for healing; a time for knocking down, a time for building.

4 A time for tears, a time for laughter; a time for mourning, a time for dancing.

5 A time for throwing stones away, a time for gathering them; a time for embracing, a time to refrain from embracing.

6 A time for searching, a time for losing; a time for keeping, a time for discarding.

7 A time for tearing, a time for sewing; a time for keeping silent, a time for speaking.

8 A time for loving, a time for hating; a time for war, a time for peace.

9 What do people gain from the efforts they make?

10 I contemplate the task that God gives humanity to labour at.

11 All that he does is apt for its time; but although he has given us an awareness of the passage of time, we can grasp neither the beginning nor the end of what God does.

12 I know there is no happiness for a human being except in pleasure and enjoyment through life.

13 And when we eat and drink and find happiness in all our achievements, this is a gift from God.

14 I know that whatever God does will be forever. To this there is nothing to add, from this there is nothing to subtract, and the way God acts inspires dread.

15 What is, has been already, what will be, is already; God seeks out anyone who is persecuted.

16 Again I observe under the sun: crime is where justice should be, the criminal is where the upright should be.

17 And I think to myself: the upright and the criminal will both be judged by God, since there is a time for every thing and every action here.

18 I think to myself: where human beings are concerned, this is so that God can test them and show them that they are animals.

19 For the fate of human and the fate of animal is the same: as the one dies, so the other dies; both have the self-same breath. Human is in no way better off than animal -- since all is futile.

20 Everything goes to the same place, everything comes from the dust, everything returns to the dust.

21 Who knows if the human spirit mounts upward or if the animal spirit goes downward to the earth?

22 I see there is no contentment for a human being except happiness in achievement; such is the lot of a human beings. No one can tell us what will happen after we are gone.

12. PHOTOGRAPHS

There have been some very interesting photographs accompanying the class biographies.Inordertokeepwithina2-pageformat,theseadditionalphotographshave beenmovedtothisphotographsection.

SomecontributionsfromRobBandini

PNardin,IClements&NSchnuir departingfortheTimberTourto “EasternTransvaal(now Mpumalanga)

ABruggeman&DBalkin,TimberTour

Channelformingpaveronsiteat TugelaVaalSchemeClassTour‘75

Threephotographsfromthe’74TimberTourtothe EasternTransvaal(Mpumalanga)

TheEngineersBall–LtoR PDaniels,BDevenish,FVanAswegen, FGibbons,JBaillie,&RDeSouzawith ladies.

Afewphotos fromRickyDe Souza Included,althoughphoto qualitywasverypoor,but maystilljogafew memories

25th Reunion2000

Front:BrucevdBosch,Wally DeVallier,NormanSchnuir,GrahamShutler. Back:WouterDeGidts,BernieKrone,JohnBaillie,Francis

40th Reunion2015

Gibbons,MikeWhitaker,ErrolKerst

Front:PeteEdmeades,KeithMiller,BarryDevenish,BernieKrone,JohnBaillie,EdSchultz,WouterDeGidts,IanVos Back:GrahamShutler,FrancisGibbons,RobBandini,FrankHaupt,PaoloNardin,TerryBreen,RobLines,Mike Whitaker,NormanSchnuir,JeremyWaterman,BrucevdBosch Kneeling:FrancoisVanAswegen,PeteDaniels,ErrolKerst

Somephotographsfromthe40th ReunionheldatTheJohannesburgCountry Clubin2015

40yrReunionDinner(2025)FromLtoR“GrahamShutlerand…,BarryDevenishand…,FrancisGibbonsand…,Mike Whitaker andwives/partners

40yrReunionDinner(2015)FromLtoR(Classonly)

JeffGoldberg,JohnSullivan,PeterEdmeades,PeterDaniels,GrahamShutler,BarryDevenish,KeithMiller,Mike Whitaker,FrancisGibbons,RayKlawanskyinfront.

Keith Miller, John Sullivan & Peter Edmeades

Bernie Krone ...................

Graham Shutler .............

Francis Gibbons ...........

Wouter De Gidts ................ Francois Van Aswegen ...............

Michael Whitaker ..............

Barry Devenish.................

Rob Bandini.............

John Baillie.............

Jeff Goldberg...................

Errol Kerst............

Mike Whitaker, Ian Abrahams, Paolo Nardin , Keith Miller

SomeMemoriesfromErrolKerst

Onequote IrememberwasbyProfWatt–thesurveyprofessor.

“Sometimes you must just use the graduated eyeball.” I still find this true today you don’t alwaysneedcomplexinstrumentsorevensimpleroneslikeatapemeasure.Youjustneedexperience andagoodeyetostartwith–thedetailcancomelaterifrequired.

I wasinvolvedwith the badminton club. We showed moviestwice a year in theSS1 Lecture theatre.Wehadtohireaprojectorandthereelsoffilm.Soldsweetsandcolddrinksaswell.Thiswas toraisefundstowardsgoingtotheBadmintonIntervarsity.

We also sold Rag magazines each year. I remember two Saturdays in Springs (East Rand) tryingtosellleftwingWitsmagazinesinaconservativetown(rememberthiswasthe70’s)

In 1974 we sold magazines in Tzaneen, which was definitely a very conservative Afrikaans farmingtypecommunity–lotsofverbalabuse,butweallcamebackinonepiece.

The bit I remember is that some of us drove up early on Friday with cars full of magazines and beer. The rest of the team would arrive much later on Friday night. We stayed on a farm on Magoebaskloofandsodecidedthatweneededtoimprovethecats’eyesonthepassbyplacingabeer cannexttoeachcat’seyesothatthelatecomerscouldfindtheirway.

FourTies

FromLtoR:

 Classof75Tie

 WitsDiamondJubileeTie,

 AllSportsCouncilorEngineeringFacultyTie

 2004WitsTie(30yearsdownthelinewedidn’treallyweartiesanymore)IwasonmywayfromSecundato mydaughter’sgraduation(CivilEngineering)andrealisedIhadthesuitbutnotie.Usingmycellphonetocall hersherusheddowntotheWitsShopandboughtmeaTIE!

Slide Rule

Drawing Instruments

3

Coversofafewofourtext bookswithyearandprice. 1972 to 1975 2nd year : R6-80

SomeTextbooks,andtheiroldprices

Wits Sports Council 1975

Errol Kerst 3rd row 5th from L or R (Badminton )

Rob Hulme 4th Row 3rd from L to R (Flying)

McGlashan,WayneMartin

DrierProject1976,FOSKOR Phalaborwa

InitialexcavationsRamsesHiltonHotel 1978(nexttotheNileRiver,Central Cario).

Used a steam driven piling machine. We were the first construction company to use concrete mixes, cranes etc. Previously all made by hand and carried up bamboo scaffolding.

When we got this high, we cut off 50% of Cairo from TV. The Cairo TV studios were next to us and we blocked off the transmissions. Also we still did not have an approved building license. Lots of buckshee flowed. Built 1 floor a week;

RamsesHiltonHotelCairo1979, (1,500sqm)

Landingondesertedbeach

ApproachingCapeTown

UnusualviewofthefamousTranskei“holeinthewall”fromseaside

Oneof2waterfallsdroppingdirectlyintotheocean

Peter

M.

Edmeades

Victoria Falls Bridge Strengthening Nyamataka Bridge / Culvert Solution, post-cyclone repairs

ErrolKerst–2018hisyearasSAICEPresident

November2017

ErrolKerstoutsideInstituteofCivil EngineersHeadquartersat1GreatGeorge Street,London

Errol&SandyKerstwith Rosemary&DaveBalkin–Sydney,October2019

Wouter,Ray,Errol,FrancisandFrank

Sullivan,John

Mount Inungu in the Matopos Hills boasts an 11m tall Cross, a small project by John Sullivan, Peter Edmeades, Angelo Stipinovich and others in October 1982

John & Wallis Sullivan with Desmond, Daniel, Michael and Paulette

MichaelisaSeniorProjectManagerwithAECOMUK.DanielisaDirectorwithCapeTownMetro.PauletteisaHelicopter EmergencyParamedicandfarmer’swife.Desmondliveswithusathome–suffersfromanhard-to-controlepilepticcondition.

FrankHaupt

I eventually partnered with Naturelink to acquire an Embraer Bandeirante - a remarkable aircraft powered by two PT6 turbines

My first Porsche - a secondhand 1984 911 Turbo (930)

PhotographscourtesyofPeter Daniels.

PeterandfuturewifeJennysailing acrosstheAtlanticOcean.

BarryDevenishandPeterDaniels sailingintheAegeanSea.

Peterthephotographer

Peter,BarryandJenny

WouterDeGidts

Theyoungestguyintheclass.

TheDeGidtsFamily

ANDFINALLY–THEDEV areminderofEngineersfavouritewateringholethathaslongsincedisappeared.

CourtesyofPeterMaher