SAIMC


From the president's desk

May 2011 SAIMC

Looking through the names of my predecessors is a humbling experience. There is no way that anyone can fill the shoes of these people, but one can take the baton and blaze new trails, in our time, and with the assistance of our enthusiastic members who are rich in knowledge and experience.

Johan Maartens
Johan Maartens

Last year, immediate past president, Johan van Jaarsveldt, was instrumental in getting the SAIMC registered as a Section 21 company. This is a milestone for the SAIMC and also a turning point. Now, we are tasked not only with the responsibility to expose our members to new technologies and tools, we also have to ensure that the SAIMC is run according to the rules of good corporate governance.

The 2011 SAIMC council photographed at the recent AGM in Woodmead. Back row from left: Peter Zietsman, Solly Mabitsela, Vinesh Maharaj, John Owen-Ellis, Johan van Jaarsveldt (immediate Past President), Mark Dilchert (IIG) 
(Front Row) Steven Meyer (TechNews), Vivian MacFadyen, Debbie Scott, Johan Maartens (incoming president) and Jones Kalela.
(Not in picture) Leo Chikasa (Zambia) and Gerhard Greef (MESA)
The 2011 SAIMC council photographed at the recent AGM in Woodmead. Back row from left: Peter Zietsman, Solly Mabitsela, Vinesh Maharaj, John Owen-Ellis, Johan van Jaarsveldt (immediate Past President), Mark Dilchert (IIG) (Front Row) Steven Meyer (TechNews), Vivian MacFadyen, Debbie Scott, Johan Maartens (incoming president) and Jones Kalela. (Not in picture) Leo Chikasa (Zambia) and Gerhard Greef (MESA)

The activities of the SAIMC spread across many companies, and, just as in the case of ECSA (Engineering Council of South Africa), it is our responsibility to ensure that our platform abides by the international anti-bribery and corruption campaign.

Because of this, the SAIMC is implementing business conduct guidelines that are in addition to the Code of Conduct of ECSA (I know many of our members are already registered with ECSA).

Some of the issues that I would like to highlight are:

1. It is unlawful for companies to provide, give or promise anything of value directly or indirectly to an SAIMC member in order to:

a. Obtain or retain business.

b. Seek improper business advantage.

c. Influence action by individual, company or government action.

d. The SAIMC has therefore also decided that the maximum value of a prize given by an outside company for presentation to an individual at golf days and other competitions is limited to R300.

2. Authorisation, cooperation, assistance or the non-reporting of such a crime could lead to immediate expulsion from the SAIMC.

3. It is unlawful for SAIMC members to negotiate prices of products at any technology evenings or other SAIMC functions.

4. The SAIMC has zero tolerance for bribery and corrupt conduct.

5. Gifts (of less than R300) should be provided openly. Multiple gifts to the same person during the course of the year should be avoided.

We are appealing to our patron members and branches to assist us in our efforts in combating corruption. This is a serious subject and we trust that we will be able to rely on you to contact us immediately if an offence is suspected.

I had to get that out of the way and now would like to focus on something much more positive – our objectives going forward. We are looking to our Innovations Committee to assist us with the following goals for the next two years:

1. Working with the First Lego League to bring our technology to school level.

2. Establish a bursary scheme to assist youngsters to study in our field.

3. Revisit the issue of branch funding to ensure that every branch is able to support our goals for the next two years.

4. Work with the IIG to ensure that our members get a balanced exposure to the different technologies that are available.

5. Work with MESA SA to bring this exciting methodology to our members.

6. Work with the Process Road-Show and Process Expo teams to strengthen the bonds between us.

7. Standardised reporting for branches.

8. Revisit ‘Branch of the Year Award’ to align it with our goals as communicated by outgoing president, Johan van Jaarsveldt, earlier this year.

I would like to make use of this opportunity to thank each and every person for their valuable support in the past, and also the trust that you have placed in our new council. We have an open door policy, so feel free to contact us with suggestions, critique and of course compliments.



Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

SAIMC: From the office of the CEO: Is AI turning us into idiots?
SAIMC SAIMC
When calculators were first introduced, there were several concerns, particularly in the educational sector. Many educators and parents feared that students would become too reliant on calculators and ...

Read more...
SAIMC Johannesburg branch
SAIMC SAIMC
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’.

Read more...
SAIMC: From the office of the CEO: Recognising winners
SAIMC SAIMC
The Africa Automation and Technology Fair proved to be another successful event – and that is before any formal figures have been released.

Read more...
SAIMC: Durban branch
SAIMC 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.

Read more...
SAIMC: From the office of the CEO: Understanding the Engineering Profession Act
SAIMC SAIMC
For a full and detailed explanation of whether you are doing engineering work, I recommend visiting the ECSA website and looking up the IoEW Gazette. Meanwhile, here’s a simplified breakdown to get you started and hopefully encourage you to explore further.

Read more...









While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved