From the Editor’s Desk
Some frightening statistics about South Africa’s education system have been rattling around in my head lately. And after attending a recent media round-table discussion hosted by GIBB Holdings, those statistics have taken on even greater significance. They concern something this country desperately needs but is increasingly struggling to produce. Engineers.
According to a recent article in The Open Letter, a newsletter to which I subscribe, South Africa faces a serious shortage of engineers, with some estimates suggesting as many as 60 000 positions need to be filled. The article also highlighted a disturbing decline in Mathematics participation and performance among matriculants. And the rot starts long before matric. In the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), South Africa’s Grade 5 learners achieved an average Mathematics score of just 362 against an international scale centre point of 500. Science results were even worse, averaging 308. These are not just numbers on a spreadsheet. As The Open Letter pointed out, they represent a serious threat to the future of a country whose economy depends heavily on mining, agriculture, manufacturing, construction, transport and logistics – all sectors that depend on engineering expertise to function, never mind grow. Which brings me to GIBB Holdings.
To be honest, when the invitation first arrived, I thought it was from GIBS Business School. Easy mistake to make. GIBB and GIBS are pretty close, aren’t they? But no. GIBB Holdings is an African infrastructure solutions company specialising in planning, design and delivery, with a wealth of engineering expertise at its core. What caught my attention was the topic of the discussion: “Can South Africa turn transport infrastructure into economic opportunity?” Now you’re talking!
As long-time FleetWatch readers will know, we’ve always championed transport productivity and efficiency as the holy grail of successful trucking operations. Yet there are so many obstacles standing in the way of achieving those objectives, many of them completely beyond the control of transport operators. Deteriorating roads, inadequate infrastructure maintenance, inefficient freight systems and the general decay of essential services all take their toll. Just look at the R36, that gemors of a road which has become a glaring example of what happens when infrastructure is allowed to deteriorate. So I went along, eager to hear what was being proposed. And what a gathering it was.
Sitting around the table were some serious boffins representing the South African Academy of Engineering (Pine Pienaar); Infrastructure South Africa (Dr Hubert Joynt, Transport Economist); the Engineering Council of South Africa (Edmund Nxumalo); and the Academy of Science of South Africa (Ms Rajeshree Mahabeer). Also present was Dr Andrew Shaw, Group Executive: Strategy at Transnet SOC. The discussion was chaired by Vishaal Lutchman, Group CEO of GIBB Holdings. Dr Shaw kicked things off with a detailed presentation on Transnet’s recovery programme following years of underinvestment and operational decline. His message was that recovery is underway, although much remains to be done. That was encouraging.
But what really struck me as the discussion unfolded was something far bigger than Transnet. Here, sitting around one table, was a concentration of technical knowledge, experience and expertise that South Africa desperately needs. These were people who understood the problems. People who could identify the causes, analyse the consequences and propose solutions based on research, experience and professional knowledge. And I found myself wondering: Are we listening to them enough? Because, quite frankly, looking at the state of so much of our infrastructure and services, one has to wonder whether the people who possess the necessary expertise are being given sufficient opportunity to influence the decisions that matter. Based on the amount of sewerage running through the streets of many towns, they are not.
We see the consequences of failing infrastructure all around us. Roads deteriorating, water systems failing, municipalities struggling to deliver basic services and communities taking to the streets in frustration. Not every failure can be blamed on a shortage of engineers. Funding, management, accountability and political decisions all play their part. But without the necessary technical skills and competent people in positions of responsibility, how on earth do we expect to put things right?
One of the strongest messages to emerge from the GIBB discussion was the importance of public-private partnerships. Transnet is pursuing greater private-sector participation in its recovery efforts and the potential benefits are significant. But partnerships alone are not enough. We need qualified people making informed decisions and we need institutions prepared to act on their advice. Which brings me to an arrow I’d like to fire at the engineering fraternity itself. C’mon, you boffins. Speak up!
I know, I know. By your very nature, many of you prefer to keep your heads buried in complicated designs, calculations, technical drawings and all sorts of things that ordinary mortals like me struggle to understand. You’re generally happier solving problems than standing behind microphones. Well, it’s time to lift your heads and get onto those podiums. South Africa needs to hear more from you. Before attending this discussion, I knew little about the professional bodies represented around that table. Yet, having listened to their representatives, I came away wanting to hear a great deal more. And not just at media round-tables. I want their voices heard in government departments, municipal chambers, infrastructure planning sessions and wherever decisions affecting the country’s future are made.
And while we’re on the subject, whatever happened to the Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE), which was such an active and influential body in the trucking industry in days gone by? We could certainly do with that sort of technical voice again. C’mon, you young transport engineers and technical professionals. Get organised. Revitalise that professional spirit. Make yourselves heard where it counts. Because here’s the point.
South Africa needs to give far greater weight to the voices of engineers, economists, scientists and other qualified specialists when making decisions that depend on their expertise. That doesn’t mean politicians have no role to play. Of course they do. But political leadership and technical competence are not interchangeable. Opinions are easy to offer. Knowledge takes years of study, experience, research and practical application to acquire. And when it comes to designing bridges, maintaining roads, managing freight corridors, restoring rail networks or planning the infrastructure on which our economy depends, I know whose judgement I’d rather trust.
Which brings me back to those disturbing education statistics and a question I put to Edmund Nxumalo of the Engineering Council of South Africa. I asked whether achieving just 30% in matric Mathematics provided a sound foundation for someone hoping to pursue engineering studies. He looked down, shook his head and gave me a one-word answer. “No.” Now, to be clear, 30% is not sufficient for admission to an engineering degree. Universities require considerably higher Mathematics results. But that wasn’t really the point of my question. The point was whether we are doing enough – from the earliest years of schooling – to equip young South Africans with the mathematical and scientific knowledge needed to become the engineers, scientists and technical professionals of tomorrow. And whether the standards we set are being guided by sound educational evidence or by the desire to produce more impressive-looking pass statistics. That is a question worth asking because South Africa cannot expect to build a technically competent nation without first providing its children with a solid educational foundation. Nor can we expect to repair a country by allowing opinion to carry more weight than qualified knowledge.
South Africa has a great deal of catching up to do. The GIBB Holdings discussion left me with a central thought: Perhaps it’s time we stopped asking who has the loudest voice and started asking who actually knows what they’re talking about.
Patrick O’Leary
Managing Editor, FleetWatch
Got something you want to get off your chest – or simply want to share your thoughts on ‘things’ trucking? Drop me a line at fleetwatch@pixie.co.za. I’d love to hear from you.
