EC_Nov2016_lores_with

Editor:

Wendy Izgorsek

Design & Layout:

Adél JvR Bothma

Advertising Managers:

Helen Couvaras and

Heidi Jandrell

Circulation:

Karen Smith

Publisher

Karen Grant

Deputy Publisher

Wilhelm du Plessis

EditorialTechnical

Director:

Ian Jandrell

Published monthly by:

Crown Publications cc

CnrTheunis and Sovereign Sts

Bedford Gardens

PO Box 140, Bedfordview 2008

Tel. +27 (0) 11 622 4770

Fax: +27 (0) 11 615 6108

e-mail:

ec@crown.co.za admin@crown.co.za

Website:

www.crown.co.za

Printed by:Tandym Print

Quarter 2 (April - June 2016)

Total print circulation: 4 713

The views expressed in this publication are

not necessarily those of the publisher, the

editor, SAAEs, SAEE, CESA, IESSA or the

Copper Development Association Africa

Electricity+Control is supported by:

t has become a tradition for me to write about the

Eskom Expo for Young Scientists at this time of

year. The event inevitably fills me with immense

pride as I see what young people can do.

Is there evidence of naiveté? Sure there is! Is there

evidence of bad scientific process? Sure there is!

Is there evidence of bad reports and data analysis?

Sure there is! But make no mistake, most of these

young people are far beyond where we were at

that age.

It is important to understand the role of the profes-

sionals interacting with them. One needs to remem-

ber that these young scholars have not, in many

cases, learned about of the rules of the universe.

So they dream up interesting things to investigate.

Some of them (perpetual motion springs to mind)

are crazy. But let them do it! And, if anyone of them

gets something like that to work ... well, wouldn't

it be amazing!

The point is, they do not get it to work. And our chal-

lenge is to guide them in the understanding of their

own findings - without belittling or discouraging

them. You learn by doing stuff, finding out on your

own. Books are useful – yet nothing compared to the

lab. Once the lessons have been learned, you have a

budding young scientist. This year had a poignancy

to it. I interactedwith these bright youngminds - from

all over the country and fromall walks of life - and re-

alised how they were genuinely there for each other.

I watched groups from far-flung rural areas cheering

for their new found friends from top city schools.

While it gave me absolute hope for the future, I

found myself wondering how, exactly, another

burnt bus, or burned library, or looted shop con-

tributes to the vision of free, quality, decolonised

education for all. I am not able to figure that out yet.

I wonder if some of the bright young folk I saw at the

Eskom Expo for Young Scientists may be able to.

Ian Jandrell

Pr Eng,

BSc (Eng) GDE PhD,

FSAIEE SMIEEE

COMMENT

The November edition of

Electricity + Control repre-

sents the 30

anniversary of

Crown Publications and of this

magazine.

The magazine was launched,

as Electricity SA, in Novem-

ber 1986 by Jenny Warwick.

Rebranding to the title Elec-

tricity + Control happened

during 1990 at a time when

I was privileged to become

involved, initially with Mick

Crabtree as co-editor. I also

worked with consultant, Dag

Hammerschlag. I learned huge

amounts from these two in-

dividuals who significantly

influenced my understanding

of the role of ‘engineer’ in the

profession.

Thirty years is a long time and

I would like to thank our ad-

vertisers, our readers and our

editorial contributors for the

support they have given us for

three decades. The landscape

has changed, many times, so

it means a lot to us that many

of our advertisers, those who

placed advertisements in the

very first issue, are still with

us today.

These include Aberdare Ca-

bles, African Cables (now CBi

electric: african cables), ATC

(now CBi electric: telecom ca-

bles, Asea (now ABB), Hawker

Siddeley (now part of the Zest

WEG Group), Newelec, Pham-

bili Interface (nowVoltex), Fuch

(nowCBi-electric: low voltage),

Three-DAgencies and Teleme-

canique (now Schneider Elec-

tric). In the past three decades,

the economic outlook of our

country has shiftedmany times

and we are in a particularly

tough patch at the moment.

But, have no doubt, this will

change too, as it always does.

I would like to thank our pub-

lisher, Karen Grant; deputy

editor, Wilhelm du Plessis;

editor Wendy Izgorsek; Helen

Couvaras and Heidi Jandrell

our sales managers; and Adel

Bothma our layout artist, for

their excellent contributions

to Electricity+Control over

so many years and to wish

them continued success as

we tackle the new era ahead!

November ‘16

Electricity+Control