Olu Soluade, president of the Johannesburg chapter of ASHRAE, addressing the media on 2 February. Image credit: Eamonn Ryan
Olu Soluade, president of the Johannesburg chapter of ASHRAE, as well as of the Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa) addressed the media on 2 February at the Radisson Blu hotel in Sandton, Gauteng. While he was speaking on behalf of Cesa on this occasion, his message describing the organisation’s theme and focus for the year ahead is as appropriate to engineers in the HVAC&R sector.
“Our 2022 theme was ‘A Call to Service’. During this period, we called on our members and industry stakeholders to serve and work together as a team with a common goal and focus,” he said.
Olu Soluade outlined his expectations for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address:
“With the State of the Nation Address (SONA) coming up in exactly a week’s time, we are calling on government to commit to increased and informed spending on infrastructure as a key economic driver. Government needs to overcome the current supply chain and procurement issues as well as the skills challenges our country faces. Additionally, the pace at which this happens needs to be accelerated.”
“Our hope is that with government’s focus on professionalising the state we will start to see the right people with the requisite skills, experience and competencies being placed in key positions to ensure that money is spent in a cost-effective manner for both the social and economic benefit of the people of our country,” he said.
