KZN MBA elects Joyce Dolly Tembe for second term as President

KZN MBA elects Joyce Dolly Tembe for second term as President

At its 116th Annual General Meeting held in Durban on 27 June 2017, KwaZulu-Natal Master Builders and Allied Industries Association elected Joyce Dolly Tembe of Sakhisizwe Development Training to a second term as President.

Tembe is the Association’s first female President, bearing testimony to the Association’s unrelenting commitment to expediting transformation as well as training and skills development.

Tembe informed members that the past year had been masked with several challenges in the building industry, the most topical being the issue of violence and intimidation on construction sites. Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal was instrumental in bringing the relevant stakeholders to an engagement platform in an attempt to remedy the situation.

The President stated: “This has undoubtedly resulted in some reprieve for our members and we will continue our efforts in ensuring a conducive business environment.” She also encouraged members to continue to embrace economic transformation as it would lead to a more sustainable construction industry.

The keynote speaker was the CEO of Construction Sector Charter Council (CSCC), Thabo Masombuka, who briefed members on the long-awaited Construction Sector Charter Codes. In his address, he announced that the CSCC believes that the implementation of the Construction Sector Code would address inequalities in the industry, unlock the sector’s potential and enhance its growth.

Masombuka noted that the Code generally seeks to support all the objectives of transformation and in particular, aims to achieve substantial meaningful and accelerated change in the racial and gender composition of ownership control and management, within the sector. It further aims to promote the effective advancement of employment equity and seeks to address skills development in a manner that accelerates the advancement of Black people, Black women and designated groups with particular emphasis on learnerships, technical and management training.

Executive Director, Vikashnee Harbhajan informed Members that during the period under review the Association delivered on its strategic objectives, obtaining another unqualified audit. Membership closed at 765 at the end of February 2017, with health and safety services being in great demand. Members were applauded for scooping six out of ten awards in the Master Builders South Africa National Health and Safety Competition.

Harbhajan indicated that the Association was committed to transformation of the building industry. This has resulted in a Master Plan on economic transformation which is currently being implemented by the Association. “A Good Practice Note which aims to assist our members with the application of the Preferential Procurement Regulations is in the pipeline and will be released shortly”, stated Harbhajan.

The Executive Director highlighted the success of the Vuka Makhi “Programme, Emerging Contractor Programme and the Bursary Fund.

The Executive Council elected for the next term of office is as follows:

Joyce Dolly Tembe (President)

Mogamat Behardien (Immediate Past President)

Vic Naidoo (Vice President)

Sam Ngcongo, (Vice President)

Francois Louw (Vice President)

Marcus Gonzalves (Vice President)

Ayanda Notshweleka

Thys Blom

Dean Donaldson

Lance Ridl

Phumelele Bam

Chris Cusens

Roland Mudaly

Lesley Chetty

Ray Basson

Patricia Moodley