Housing in Southern Africa

November 2015

his includes one award that

has consistently beenwon by a

KZN MBA member for the past

10 years. The MBA North members

who earlier this year won the MBA

NorthRegional ConstructionHealth&

Safety Awards, thenwent on to scoop

national MBSAhonours inSeptember.

The Joint Venture between Stefa-

nutti Stocks and Basil Read for the

Kusile Power Station took the top

honour for the Kusile Power Station

in the ‘Contracts over R500 million’

category. Belo & Kies Construction

won the MBSA national award for the

Newcaste Crossing Shopping Mall.

Tiber Construction was awarded top

honours for the Top Plant & Storage

Yard at the company’s Village Deep

yard, south of Johannesburg.

Tiber’s achievement was the first

time a MBA North member had man-

aged to wrestle the national Top

Plant & Storage Yard shield from a

MBA KZNmember. The KZN province

had ‘owned’ this category for the past

Safety

First…

decade. Tiber Contracts Director,

Mario de Carvalho says that the

company’s success was achieved

after many years of constant striving

to adhere to all the prescribed Health

and Safety requirements. “It’s been

frustrating because there were a few

years when we apparently had just

narrowly missed out on top national

honours in this category. This year

we were determined to grab the ac-

colade.”

He said some of the steps at the

plant and storage yard included the

installation of new lightning protec-

tion; fitting of new large extraction

fans near the workshop area to pro-

tect workers from gas, fumes, dust

and vapour; and testing the yard’s

noise level to ensure that the staff’s

hearing was not endangered. “The

Tiber yard personnel all took a per-

sonal interest in the facility’s Health

and Safety campaign and gave the

initiative their full support. It was,

in fact, a massive team effort that

also included encouragement and

assistance fromtopmanagement. We

now intend holding on to the MBSA

Shield for this category for many

years to come,” de Carvalho added.

Mohau Mphomela, Executive Di-

rector of MBA North, said MBA North

members hadmade significant prog-

ress in raising their OHS levels to na-

tionally acclaimed levels in the past

few years. “This is most gratifying,

not only for the awards won in the

process, but also because it shows

that our members are clearly aware

that the health and safety of their

employees are worth more than any

financial gain frombuilding projects.

We commend the MBSA competi-

tion winners and feel sure that the

MBA North regional competition

next year will again produce national

winners.”

The MBSA National Construction

Health&Safety Awards are sponsored

by Federated Employers’ Mutual

Assurance Company (FEM).

■

The Tiber Construction team from left to right: Michael Nysschen,

Peter Tyrrell, Caroline Chauke, Hilton Chauke, Mario de Carvalho and

José Correia, Managing Director.

Master Builders Association

(MBA) North members received

three national awards in the

annual Master Builders South

Africa (MBSA) Construction

Health & Safety Awards for 2015.

BA North Executive Commit-

tee member, Rose Ts’enase,

chairpersonof the newWom-

en's Forum, says the objectives of the

new Forum includes: To collectively

share knowledge and transfer skills

and training among women who are

MBANorthmembers so thatWomen’s

Forummembers can more meaning-

fully target government and private

sector projects for new business.

To identify and source ‘enterprise

development’ opportunities within

MBA North for Forum members.

Toorganisementorshipandcoach-

ing fromwell-established companies

in the building industry, promote

social responsibility and networking

as well as encourage more young

women to enter the building industry.

Ts’enase heads up Bashoeshoe

Construction and says that many

women are now passionate about

affecting change in the construction

industry.

Women are making inroads with

a current average Construction In-

dustry Development Board (cidb)

Grading of 5 for the cidb Contractors

“There is one woman who has

achieved a cidb Grade 9 Status.

Women face some severe challenges

such as a lack of effective develop-

ment support through restricted

access to finance, skilled resources,

delays in payment from clients, and

the absence of support from the big

existing contractors. The industry

has always been male-dominated so

women tend to be less experienced.

The result is that women often lose

business to male contractors in the

sector.”

“It is commendable that the MBAs

encourage members to award sub-

contracts to emerging contractors,

but it should be to emerging or small

contractors who are MBA members.

Themajor contractors should contact

MBAs for the names of small contrac-

tors with experience and skills and

award sub-contracts to such accred-

ited MBA members,” she stated.

■

Gender equality in construction sector

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