Everybody is talking about the South African power shortage. To be in vogue, here is my contribution.
Vivian MacFadyen
There is an untapped natural and indestructible resource that is available countrywide. If harnessed, this force will almost eliminate household reliance on electricity for heating purposes. There is however, a challenge for engineers to capture this energy whilst active. It is elusive, and is only fully appreciated by the masses. It is the blast of hot air expelled from the mouths of those intent on self-advancement or empowerment, and individuals avoiding responsibility for their inaction. They conceal their ignorance and hide their incompetence by making illogical statements. At the same time, they score points with the masses by having the last word irrespective of legitimacy.
I have repeatedly highlighted the skills shortage (drain) in South Africa, and the power situation is purely a symptom of this loss. The next casualty will possibly be the petroleum supply; already there have been serious accidents in refineries. This will be even worse for the average person than the electrical power crises. Those few fortunate persons who have diesel generators to overcome the electricity shortage will have no diesel for their expensive alternatives.
We are now so deep into the mess that it will take many years to get ourselves out of it. If we do not do something urgently, the future of our offspring will be subsistence farming on barren land.
It is high time we relinquished the ties of ignorance and prejudice, so that we can recover from this dismal situation. Education and experiential training is the answer, but this will take 20 years to achieve. We need to bring to an end the evacuation of skilled persons and shrewdly use our remaining resources. We have many highly skilled individuals who are being blocked from participation in the recovery, we have reached a point where we need to start thinking…
Bridging the digital gap in industrial systems SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
SAIMC
Industrial engineers, digital transformation leaders, and operations managers are invited to an exclusive knowledge-sharing event designed to tackle the complexities of digitising large-scale systems.
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The SAIMC Johannesburg branch recently hosted the June Technology Evening. The presentation covered HVAC systems through the lens of instrumentation, highlighting how sensor technologies form the backbone of effective monitoring and control, allowing for effective energy efficiency.
Read more...SAIMC Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Durban Branch hosted its latest technology meeting on 4 June.The event drew a strong turnout, highlighting the keen interest in the topic ‘Understanding Level Measurement: Contact vs Non-Contact Methods’.
Read more...SAIMC at KITE 2025
SAIMC
The Society for Automation, Instrumentation, Mechatronics and Control Engineering (SAIMC) invites you to connect with us at the KwaZulu-Natal Industrial Technology Exhibition (KITE) from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 July 2025.
Read more...SAIMC User Advisory Council annual summit SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
SAIMC
The SAIMC User Advisory Council is proud to present the 2025 Annual Summit, formerly known as the MESA Africa Summit. The theme is ‘Mining and manufacturing in South Africa: SMART operations in a disruptive world economy’.
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SAIMC
The Durban branch of the SAIMC was pleased to welcome Vusi Sithole, managing member of Hybrid Control Corporation in Richards Bay, who presented\on the very pertinent topic of ‘Infrastructure monitoring and control for water loss management’.
Read more...SAIMC: Sunshine, swings and smiles: Durban Golf Day hits a high note Technews Publishing (SA Instrumentation & Control)
SAIMC
We say it every year, and we’ll say it again: May in Durban is hard to beat; but 9 May, when the Durban Golf Day teed off at Kloof Country Club, was something else. With sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 20s, it was a fantastic day, full of fun and great energy.
Read more...SAIMC User Advisory Council KS4I event: Bridging the industry/education divide
SAIMC
Horst Weinert, head of Didactic at Festo Southern/Eastern Africa, will be sharing some of Festo’s Didactic experiences of working across industry and education. He will cover training for productivity and employability in the public and private sectors, discussing especially the potential for inter-company training centres.
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