09 Sep 2013

Minister of Infrastructure, Science and Technology has hailed the launch of the statutory registration of professional engineers as great achievement in the engineering profession in the country. 

Launching commencement of Engineers Registration Board (ERB) and its official logo on Septmber 5, Minister Johnnie Swartz said the high profile event was a national achievement that Batswana and the construction industry should be proud of.

Minister Swartz noted that the aim was to solely align the country’s practices with international standards, where engineering would be practiced in a self-regulated environment devoid of potential risk of truancy and/or professional misconduct.  

Thus, he was confident that such achievement will open up local engineering practice to greater international recognition and respect as well as competitiveness.  

Minister Swartz also told attendants that it took great efforts and focus constituted in strategic planning, resource mobilisation, solicitation of specialist advisory services from within and abroad, benchmarking visitations and Regulatory Boards in other jurisdictions to arrive at this point all in pursuit of reaching the goal. 

A formal initiative to setting up a regulatory body for the engineering profession in Botswana started in 1998 when Parliament passed the first Engineers Registration Act.

Though it had taken 15 years, the minister said the move will officially facilitate the board to confidently discharge its principal statutory mandate of registering professional engineers. Meanwhile, Mr Swartz said experience had shown that provision of sound and balanced infrastructure must be regulated. 

He noted that no country could develop economically without a strong and regulated engineering industry given that larger percentages of national budgets were allocated for infrastructure developments.  He added that in recent times, engineers’ role was expanded to encompass a wider scope of the needs of society.

Nonetheless, Minister Swartz, argued that where such was practice, there were valid reasons why professional engineers should be registered and regulated.  Such encompass elements of substantial risks to health, public safety; hence important that engineering services were provided and managed by well qualified, experienced and competent professionals.

On other issues, he noted that it was important that the University of Botswana (UB) Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) as well as other tertiary institutions offered accredited engineering programmes with a view to producing engineers who are eligible for registration with the board. ENDS

Minister Swartz however paid tribute to those who were at the forefront in the ERB establishment and awarded them registration and practicing certificates.

They include the first Motswana to qualify as engineer, Mr Samuel Mothibatsela, second president of the Botswana Institute of Engineers, Mr Thabo Moeti and the ERB founding chairman, Botsile Gubagu. 

Nevertheless, Minister Swartz warned them against being self-centred saying, “to those unscrupulous elements who may be harbouring plans to manipulate the certificates for selfish ends, to them I say please be forewarned. The long arm of the law will descend upon you and will deal with you punitively and decisively.” BOPA