Boidus Focus - Vol 5, Issue 10 [November 2015]

OIDUS FOCUS Registered at GPo as a Newspaper P15.00 (Including VAT)

BOTSWANA’S BUILT ENVIRONMENT NEWSPAPER | Vol. 5, Issue 10 | Nov 2015 www.boidus.co.bw

GUEST COLUMNIST

INTERIOR DESIGN

The Architecture Profession p9 is in Transition

Design Pad Pad:– Of Women p14 and their Bathrooms

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Surety Bond and Making a Claim.

DARK cloud gathers

over the construction sector

By Kitso Dickson

p17

Get to Builders Warehouse.

Get it done!

SPEAK TO US ABOUT A TRADE ACCOUNT! BUILDERS WAREHOUSE BOTSWANA: GABORONE: Airport Junction Shopping Centre, Plot No. 70665, A1 Road, Tel: 00267 393 0533

FRANCISTOWN: Plot Number 31247, Mowana Park, Somerset West Industrial, Along A1 Road, Tel: 242 5200

MONDAY TO FRIDAY: 7AM - 6PM; SATURDAY: 7AM - 4PM; SUNDAY AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: 8AM - 2PM

• Limited workforce for companies to profi t from the ESP • Structural reform needed not more spending on construction-economists • Another ‘boom and bust’ cycle?

The Real Estate Industry’s

Chronic Nightmare

By Kitso Dickson

Multiplying unregistered real estate agents are engulfing property commerce, and are sustained by an ignorant user-market, limited resources and loopholes that deny monitoring bodies a cut back on the acceleration of unwarranted ridicule.

Property market watchers admit these occasions are drastically re-shaping the industry’s outlook. Real Estate Advisory Council (REAC), say their short hands hinder plans to eject the episodes at play when quizzed by Boidus Focus. Spiralling figures of complaints concerning unregistered real estate practitioners are prompting the council to solicit support from registered real estate professionals, stakeholders and other entities to tamp down the culprits commonly known as fly-by nights. p5

The Economic Stimulus Package (ESP) will only add to another “boom and bust cycle” for the construction sector, resulting in a more bad publicity should the government hasten get something on the ground, professional institutions argue.

Nic Janse Van Rensburg, Executive Director at Association of Botswana Building and Civil Engineering Contractors (ABCON), says the package will have no desired effect as it has been announced without proper planning been put in place first. With

a feast of work to do, Rensburg says an unhealthy haste to get things of the ground will result in unplanned difficulties marring the success of proposed projects.

“There is also an unhealthy haste to get things off the ground that will result in unplanned difficulties marring the success of proposed projects,” he says. p3

Local Sustainable Building Materials

By Tlotlo Tsamaase

From recycling materials to the utilisation of unorthodox materials such as cans, tires or clay-filled bottles built into the facades or reusing building materials to avoid depleting non-renewable resources -

What are the benefits of using local materials p6 and how can they be promoted?

locAl NEwS P2

BOIDUS FOCUS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015

Buildings materials and hardware prices may lift

by Kitso Dickson Accelerated demand for building materials and hardware may guide suppliers to adjust prices as the government promises to, through the Economic Stimulus Package (ESP); embark on a spending spree for infrastructure development.

Basheer Ahmad, Director at Jamal Trading Company (JTC), a building material and hardware trader, admits that some suppliers may want “to make hay while the sun shines”.

“There will be some who will try and take a short term gain,” he tells Boidus Focus in an interview.

ARCHITECTS REGISTRATION COUNCIL

The government has said the ESP, which also targets tourism development, agricultural production, and manufacturing, will construct buildings and roads. Observers say spending of the ESP will be heavily geared towards construction sector, the largest employer which has been hung back by limited financing. “We should see large projects being executed,” said Dr Oagile Kenyato, President of Botswana Institute of Engineers, a professional institute of engineers and all engineering disciplines.

CAUTION: ARCHITECTS, TECHNOLOGISTS, DRAFTSPERSONS AND OTHERS:

If the building project in the country, for which you are in charge, commenced on site before the 14th September 2015 and construction is ongoing, you are obliged to apply for EXEMPTION from provisions of the Architects Registration Act and its regulations within 60days from that date.

According to the regulations, this period expires on the 12th November 2015.

THERE ARE LEGAL CONSEQUENCES AND PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO SEEK EXEMPTION.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: THE REGISTRAR ARCHITECTS’ REGISTRATION COUNCIL PLOT 50669, THOLO OFFICE PARK, FAIRGROUNDS, GABORONE TEL: (+267) 3951830 OR EMAIL: INFO.ARC.BW@GMAIL.COM

Economists view the stimulus as a short-term plan that may offset excessive import rates for construction materials. Prices of cement may go up, says Othata Batswetse, former economist at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.

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Although Ahmad allayed fears of increased pricing of products by his company, in anticipation of the ESP, he said knock on effects may be felt for anything outside the brackets of JTC manufacturing. If suppliers at wholesale level increase, we may be forced to reconsider, he says.

JTC is keeping a close eye on pricing of tenders to surface to provide attractive prices, Ahmad noted, He promised to enhance relationships with existing suppliers including Kwena Concrete, Lobatse Clayworks, etc to switch from a traditional supplier to being a ‘business partner’. The aim is to, according to him get involved in the source of the projects, construction processes (project management) and have liberty to suggest appropriate cost cutting building materials and approaches.

The director is worried that Chinese companies may take over from citizens disadvantaged by inexperience, only to park earnings outside Botswana. “Why not put our work out and build citizen capacity over time?” He quizzes, advising the government to allow open tenders for citizen empowerment.

by Boidus Admin

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Generally traders keep an even parity of prices in market and are set apart by service delivery to attract customers. The director of JTC says suppliers at wholesale level trade products to retail level at an even price, propelling also the sale of similar products that buoy stiff competition among peerages.

Standard Bank Funds 14 Renewable energy projects

Don’t let your business suffer...

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Government has already laid out intentions to set up new housing units (through Botswana Housing Corporation), teachers and nurses quarters, classrooms, labs, new roads (including bypasses) and upgrading of health posts into clinics.

remain static unless there is a major long-term change in the economy. He says suppliers and traders with a broad financial muscle will be happy to run operations with prevailing prices.

Any astute business that’s in a medium to long-term period is not going to alter trends for short-term gains, he pronounces.

Standard Bank has provided finance to 14 active renewable energy projects delivering power to South Africa’s power grid, helping to alleviate a chronic energy shortage.

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The renewable energy projects financed by Stanbic Bank Botswana parent, Standard Bank, are currently producing more than 40% of the 1 760 Megawatts (MW) through Independent Power Producers (IPP’s), under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Procurement Programme (REIPPP). This is roughly the same amount of power that is cut when phase one load shedding occurs to South Africa’s national grid. Barclays, Africa’s biggest lender by assets, has also provided an additional financing for more renewable energy projects that are yet to come on stream, and are anticipated to add a further 800MW of power to South Africa’s power generating capacity.

“We remain committed to supporting and growing the power sector, not only in South Africa, but throughout the rest of the continent as well,” said Rentia van Tonder, Head: Renewable Energy, Power and Infrastructure at Standard Bank South Africa. “However, it remains important to choose the right proj-

ects that demonstrated the greatest potential to add a sustainable, renewable energy source to that specific country’s grid, with the emphasis on long term partnerships.” Tonder stated. Electricity demand in South Africa is expected to double over the next 20 years, necessitating a greater need for alternative sources of power so as to reduce the country’s reliance on coal-fired power, which currently accounts for about 80% of Eskom’s 4 4000MW of capacity.

The utility’s REIPPP, which was started threeand-a-half years ago, has resulted in the allocation of power purchase agreements to 92 projects after four rounds of bidding, with the projects that have already been connected to the grid, currently providing a total capacity of 1 760 MW to South Africa’s total generating capacity.

Tonder said “a commitment to alternative power can make a real difference and lift the load-shedding burden facing many business and consumers,” adding that “The ability of the economy to grow will be extremely limited if we cannot generate more power, while there is also increasing pressure to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint.”

mAIN FEATuRE P3

BOIDUS FOCUS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015

DARK cloud Gathers

over the Construction Sector

By Kitso Dickson

given opportunity to build their capacity so that they can compete in the world market, so, it must be in their interest to ensure that they do not only go into partnership for profit-making but also for capacity building” he says.

He suggests the government should ensure that the local contractors are suitably qualified for when awarded contracts. “I do believe that local contractors are eagerly waiting to take advantage of the Package,” say Dr kenyato.

Rensburg, however says companies have withdrawn from tendering for the procurement of public construction projects and concentrated on private work. This is a result of, he says, public procurement entities not adhering to proper procurement procedures, cut and paste of tender documents which bore incomplete and incorrect tender documents and incorrect client estimates of construction projects. According to the Executive Director of ABCON, tenders are awarded to bidders who cannot complete the job and a “take it or leave it” attitude where tender amounts are concerned.

FRONT OVER STORY The Economic Stimulus Package (ESP) will only add to another “boom and bust cycle” for the construction sector, resulting in a more bad publicity should the government hasten get something on the ground, professional institutions argue.

Nic Janse Van Rensburg, Executive Director at Association of Botswana Building and Civil Engineering Contractors (ABCON), says the package will have no desired effect as it has been announced without proper planning been put in place first. With a feast of work to do, Rensburg says an unhealthy haste to get things of the ground will result in unplanned difficulties marring the success of proposed projects.

Boidus Focus has learnt that Tshipidi Badiri Building Association is also said to have very few members still active in the Construction sector since most citizen contractors drifted away to other industries to make a living. Setlogelwa Tsatieng is allegedly undergoing a split as a result of discontent amongst members over the direction that the association is going. It appears members operate in the lower end of the construction sector subsist under various small jobs.

Dr Oagile kenyato, President of the Botswana Institution of Engineers (BIE), an institution of professional engineers, expressed similar sentiments. kenyato wishes for large projects

“Most contractors in the industry will take time to mobilise enough resources to take advantage of the stimulus package,” he tells Boidus Focus. Rensburg is wary of the small pool of experienced contractors available to participate in forthcoming jobs.

Companies previously scaled down staff, occasioned by limited financing squeezing also business operations. The director says ABCON member companies reduced their staff complements from 15,000 in 2010 to 5,000 in 2015. “This is across the industry as the Association has members in the contracting as well as services and supplies sectors of the construction sector,” he says. He says even member who have been at the forefront of developing the country, transferring knowledge to Batswana for over 30 years, wound up businesses and left the country.

“Citizen Contractors that had no other option but to operate in the public construction market, had to deal with all the shortcomings in the procurement processes with disastrous results,” he stated adding that the private sector deal with much more complicated construction projects without the problems that are prevalent in the public sector,” he says.

sKiLLs NEGLECT Professional institutions say in the late eighties when the construction sector was at its peak (boom), training and skills development were neglected by many contractors and engineering companies breeding sub-standard projects thereof. For the past 22 years the construction industry has tried to put a control system in place for the industry, but it is only since January 2011 that Government has come on board. With the implementation of Professional Registration Acts covering all the engineering and the built environment sectors most are optimistic the trend may at last, after so many false starts, come to an end. The Acts emphasises training and development as major component of professionalism.

“It was not rare to see freshly graduated engineers

and technicians, without any initial training whatsoever, working as Resident Engineers, supervising large construction projects,” kenyato says. A situation where government encourages and aims to support local capacity should, according to him, “always be supported by robust policies”. Rensburg himself says it will ensure better planning from a public procurement viewpoint that will ease the “boom or bust” syndrome that has been a scourge of the industry for many years.” sTrUCTUraL rEFOrM Or MOrE sPENDiNG? The construction industry has been consistently pressing the Government to spend money which will enable entities operating within the sector to plan better and also to keep them going for longer.

Economists say the government spending on construction has been limited as a result of “other priorities” hence it was unrealistic to expect “spending on construction to continue at a high pace forever”.

“Most of the country’s main public investment needs have been met. The problem is that the construction sector has struggled to adjust to the new reality, which is that spending will be on maintenance of existing infrastructure rather than lots of new infrastructure spending,” keith Jefferis, an economist at Econsult Botswana, a private economic and development consultancy firm told Boidus Focus by mail. However, he still insists the economy needs structural reforms not more construction spending which may result in depleted funds leaving less available for the future. “So let’s hope that the funds are well-spent, on high-return projects that have been subject to careful appraisal with regard to their projected returns and impact, and that the projects are well managed and implemented,” he said.

Othata Botswetse, a former economist at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, said a stimulus package, a short term plan to water an economy may offset a decline in economic output through seasonal jobs. He says the government should rather have their eyes on social protection and leave construction for the private sector. katso Tshipinare, an economist at Barclay Bank Botswana however says with most sectors inter-linked, development such as good roads and communication networks support the whole economy through infrastructural growth.

around Water Schemes, Power Generation, Road and Rail Networks, Telecommunications, etc. as they have a long term effect on the economy. “It would be a disaster if government was to fail to identify meaningful projects that will improve the economy and, at the same time, give opportunities to local contractors,” he says.

Dr kenyato admits that these projects may be beyond the scope of most local contractors and encourages more of joint ventures and partnering.

“Local contractors must understand that they are

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BoIDuS FEATuRE P4

BOIDUS FOCUS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015

21st Century House Feature - Passive House

By Boidus Admin 21st Century House Feature- Passive House Today’s Houses need to respond to more than just providing shelter or roof over our heads.

Houses, as part of the larger built form which increasingly rely on the energy from fossil fuels environmental and energy use sensitive. The desire for houses that smart buildings use zero energy from the grid is driving innovation in the housing market across the world and Germany home builders to lead the way in houses that use passive energy strategies to be energy efficient.

These houses are called Passive House.

cooling related energy savings, of up to 90% compared to typical building stock and over 75% compared to average new builds. Passive Houses use less than 1.5 l of oil or 1.5 m3 of gas to heat one square meter of living space for a year – substantially less than common “low-energy” buildings. Vast energy savings have been demonstrated in warm climates where typical buildings also require active cooling.

• Passive Houses make efficient use of the sun, internal heat sources and heat recovery, rendering conventional heating systems unnecessary throughout even the coldest of winters. During warmer months, Passive Houses make use of passive cooling techniques such as strategic shading to keep comfortably cool.

• Passive Houses are praised for the high level of comfort they offer. Internal surface temperatures vary little from indoor air temperatures, even in the face of extreme outdoor temperatures. Appropriate windows and a building envelope consisting of a highly insulated roof and floor slab as well as highly insulated exterior

What is a Passive House?

Passive House is a building standard that is truly energy efficient, comfortable and affordable at the same time. Passive House is not a brand name, but a tried and true construction concept that can be applied by anyone, anywhere.

Yet, a Passive House is much more than “just” a low-energy building:

walls keep the desired warmth in the house – or undesirable heat out.

• A ventilation system imperceptibly supplies constant fresh air, making for superior air quality without unpleasant draughts. A highly efficient heat recovery unit allows for the heat contained in the exhaust air to be re-used.

Am Haus,

Georgenstr. 18, 86368 Hirblingen www.passivhausprojekte.de

• Passive Houses allow for space heating and

www.boidus.co.bw

Boidus Focus Newspaper

Building type: detached single family house Location -: 86368 Hirblingen (Bayern) Treated Floor Area according to PHPP: 270 m2 Architecture: Augsburger Holzhaus GmbH, Robert Wittmann

Boidus Media’s monthly publication dedicated to Botswana’s Built Environment...

Architecture & Urban Design

Property Investment

Construction Industry

Arts & Culture

Thermal envelope ...WHY Boidus?

For every profession there needs to be a vessel for communicating. This communication can be between professionals, the industry, and the consumer. Boidus aims to create the platform within which these interactions can happen, where professionals within the building industry can come to interact, and where the customer can access vital information regarding the industry. By staying in tune with Boidus, you can be sure you are getting the most up-to-date information, with access to the Built Environment professionals you need to speak to. By advertising with Boidus, you will be reaching your valued customers directly on a regular basis. Contact our sales team today so that we can help you find what opportunities would best suit your advertising needs for the campaign that you would like to run.

Exterior wall: Holzrahmenbau mit 360 mm U-value = 0.11 W/(m2K) Basement floor / floor slab: 160 mm Styrodur, 200 mm Bodenplatte, 60 mm Dämmung PS 15 WLG 035 U-value = 0.15 W/(m2K) Roof: Harteindeckung Beton, (406 mm), U-value = 0.1 W/(m2K)

Boidus Focus Newspaper, now in its 44th print, is the leading platform for Botswana’s Built Environment. Stay informed and engaged with more of Boidus Media’s quality publication.

OIDUS FOCUS Registered at GpO as a Newspaper P15.00 (Including VAT)

OIDUS FOCUS Registered at GPO as a Newspaper P15.00 (Including VAT)

OIDUS FOCUS Registered at GPO as a Newspaper P15.00 (Including VAT)

www.boidus.co.bw BOTSWANA’S BUILT ENVIRONMENT NEWSPAPER | Vol. 5, Issue 5 | MAY/JUNE 2015

www.boidus.co.bw BOTSWANA’S BUILT ENVIRONMENT NEWSPAPER | Vol. 5, Issue 3 | march 2015 Home imProVement

www.boidus.co.bw

internationaL neWs

DIY Special: How to build

Your Own Stairs

Ceramic Floor Tiles

p10

Egypt’s £30bn capital p15

MAIN FEATURE

Long RoaD aHeaD foR R MISTDecentralisation; Maintenance; Buildings audit; udit; Industry SelfRegulation; DBeS S Transformation

By Kibo Ngowi

BBS Practical Advice Guide: Buying a House

Largest Property Company p3

MAIN FEATURE

p5

Get to Builders Warehouse.

Get it done!

SPEAK TO US ABOUT A TRADE ACCOUNT! BUILDERS WAREHOUSE BOTSWANA:

Finding Alternative Property

Financing Solutions

• The Botswana banking industry is in dire straits and the property market has not been spared from this decline in the fortunes of local banks.

• Fewer morgatge solutions are available on the market than ever before.

• In the midst of this climate there is still a need to access funding for property development outside the established norm. Boidus Focus explres some of the alternatives available in the market.

GABORONE: Airport Junction Shopping Centre, Plot No. 70665, A1 Road, Tel: 00267 393 0533 FRANCISTOWN: Plot Number 31247, Mowana Park, Somerset West Industrial, Along A1 Road, Tel: 242 5200

MONDAY TO FRIDAY: 7AM - 6PM; SATURDAY: 7AM - 4PM; SUNDAY AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: 8AM - 2PM

Barclays moves with the

times with innovative

CBD Headquarters

By Kibo Ngowi

hOmE imPROVEmENT

DIY Special: How to Install

New Kitchen Cabinets p11

Making Subcontracting

Make Sense

p2

MAIN FEATURE

Innovation in Housing

Get to Builders Warehouse.

Get it done!

SPEAK TO US ABOUT A TRADE ACCOUNT! BUILDERS WAREHOUSE BOTSWANA: GABORONE: Airport Junction Shopping Centre, Plot No. 70665, A1 Road, Tel: 00267 393 0533

FRANCISTOWN: Plot Number 31247, Mowana Park, Somerset West Industrial, Along A1 Road, Tel: 242 5200

MONDAY TO FRIDAY: 7AM - 6PM; SATURDAY: 7AM - 4PM; SUNDAY AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: 8AM - 2PM

How New Building Technology

Could Solve the Affordable

Accommodation Problem

Understanding

• Developing local building material products - Earth Brick - BITRI • Prefabriated housing technology - Fastrak • Housing protypes and modular housing - BIH

Mortgage Bonds

By Akheel Jinabhai

By Kibo Ngowi

Registered at GPO as a Newspaper P15.00 (Including VAT)

Protection for Contractors against

Insolvency of the Employer p10

BOTSWANA’S BUILT ENVIRONMENT NEWSPAPER | Vol. 5, Issue 6 | june/july 2015

Get to Builders Warehouse.

Get it done!

www.boidus.co.bw

Home imProVement

DIY Special: How to

Repair a Leaky Spigot p11

ProFessionaL Practice

LocaL neWs

BPOPF invest P300 million

In CBD Mixed-Used

p2

MAIN FEATURE

tswana’s Agenda. Financial inclusion

The biggest challenge that most property investors and owners would experience right now is the fact that people don’t have liquidity.

There’s less money in circulation and disposable income is reduced so some tenants are having difficulty in paying their rentals.

“So going forward you have to look and ask: What is the real potential of this market?” says Giachetti.

p4

p13

p8

How to Create Safer

neighbourhoods eighbourhoods In recent months, some say years, Botswana has experienced an alarming trend of rising crime, especially in the cities and towns. Countless voices, running the gamut from politicians to prophets, have pointed to everything from high unemployment to rapid urbanisation as the root cause of the

problem. Whatever the source of this quandary residents now find them selves in, the point is to find a workable solution. Boidus Focus the secret to making our homes safer in a climate of rising crime may lie in re Botswana thinking the way we design our neigh bourhoods.

CROWDFUNDING –

The Future of Raising Capital, writes ERIK VAN EETEN IS A CO-FOUNDER OF REALTY AFRICA ^ Erik van Eeten

superkilen-park Copenhagen

SSKI Airport-One of the incomplete projects under MIST

ing forward. Decentralisation, Maintenance, Government Building Audits, Industry self-regulation and the transformation of DBES were some of the topics on the agenda.

See inside for the full story.

Guest Editorial:

Why Gamble when you

How Institutional Investors can play a role in Funding Property and Infrastructure

Development, writes OTHATA BATSETSWE, AN INDEPENDENT ECONOMIST. p3,4,5,6

Insurance Company:

Construction Insurance Defects Exclusions

p5

BOIDUS

MEDIA

PLATFORMS Boidus (Pty) Ltd.

P. O. Box 50097, Gaborone Plot 2930, Ext. 10, Gaborone +267 3182209 | mail@boidus.co.bw

PUBLICATION OIDUS FOCUS

MEDIA EVENTS

Registered at GPO as a Newspaper | P8.00 (Including VAT)

OIDUS FOCUS

BOTSWANA’S BUILT ENVIRONMENT NEWSPAPER

www.boidus.co.bw |

Sustainability Today: 06 Starting blocks with

change Botswana’s Architecture Design and Urban Landscape Newspaperclimate | JUN E 2013 NEWS | page 02

www.boidus.co.bw

EDITORIAL | page 04

Letlole Larona Breaks Ground at the Kromberg and Schubert Botswana (Pty) Plant

| Volume 4, Issue 7 | AUGUST 2014

Education Feature: 15 Botho University Builds Francistown Campus

Factors to Consider 18 When Establishing Sector Regulation

OIDUS FOCUS

www.boidus.co.bw

Guide to School Programmes: 2013 Built Environment Careers Guide

Meet three of Botswana’s best

BOIDUS EXCLUSIVE >

Registered at GPO as a Newspaper | Volume 3, Issue #2

Botswana’s Architecture design & Urban Landscape Newspaper | M A R C H 2 0 1 3 NEWS | page 02

EDUCATION | pages 15

SUSTAINABILITY | page 06

Intro Government to Promote IntroHow ready is Botswana for duction of Residential DevelopDevelop the Inevitable Change towards BOIDUS FEATURE > Decarbonisation targets? ment into the CBD Global

BUILDINGS | page 06

A Luta Continua on the Land Question Airport Roof Gone with the Wind

The Idea of Eco Cities: Need for harmony between policy and green initiatives

HOUSING | page 16 Buy or Build a new Home: The Pros and Cons

P8.00 (Including VAT)

BOIDUS EXCLUSIVE >

by Kibo Ngowi Bringing together key CBD stakeholders such as landowners and develop ers to engage on issues that affect their developments and investment

PRACTICE | pages 14, 18 Disentangling the Web – A Look at Infrastructure Project Management

P8.00 (Including VAT)

Event Feature: State of our CitiesBDC FAIRSCAPE PRECINCT, The rising engineers Chavaphi, founder of Norcon Group; Tapa Moseki, partner at Engineering CBD Executive Seminar Event Felix Partners International; Matlhodi Keaikitse, partner at Ezra’s Contracting Services Realm of Splendor - Live, Work & Play With Breath taking Views

BOIDUS EXCLUSIVE FEATURE >

BOIDUS EXCLUSIVE FEATURE >

BR Properties - Botswana’s first Parastatal Property Investment Subsidiary

BOIDUS EXCLUSIVE >

“Public Piazza, Mixed Use Podium and Sky gardens coming to Gaborone”

by Kibo Ngowi & HK Mokwete

by Kibo Ngowi & HK Mokwete

by Kibo Ngowi

BR Properties is a pioneer organi-

sation as it is the first example of a company established to commer-

by Kibo Ngowi / H. Killion Mokwete

cially exploit the real estate assets of

a Botswana Government enterprise.

The performance of this company will

serve as a test case for many other

departments with ambitions of creating similar entities. Boidus Focus met with BR Properties Managing Director

Oarabile Zhikhwa to explore the brief history and long-term ambitions of her organisation.

>>> CONTINUED PAGE 05

>>> CONTINUED PAGE 07

The Boidus Media, State of our CitiesCBD Executive Seminar recently held at Masa Centre was by any measure a resounding success. The Seminar event brought together for the first time ever in Botswana, key stakeholders of the New CBD development such as investors, development owners, government, industry champions

“I would say that as an engineer, especially in the construction field, experience is crucial, which is why firms tend to only hire engineers with a high amount of experience for senior project roles. And that’s understandable to me, because as much as you can go to school and read books, there’s no substitute for actually being involved in a project...”

- Matlhodi Keaikitse

and the public in sharing of ideas and opportunities about our upcoming CBD. Envisaged as the future heart of Gaborone City, the CBD is slowly taktak ing shape and the seminar sought to make it a centre stage focus of discusdiscus sions and professional deliberations.

In this Boidus Focus Special, find

by Boidus Admin

event abstracts:

As you reflect on the ‘challenges and opportunities’ of developing a CBD, I would like to encourage all of you to think of this as what our generation will be remembered for having done, not only for this City, but for the nation, albeit through the toughest times.

Assistant Min. of Trade & Industry, Hon. Keletso J. Rakhudu

A Successful CBD represents among other things; • A success CBD Image of the city and the country Felix Chavaphi Portfolio • Generation of the country’s prosperity • Successful partnership between the Government & PVT[TOP] sector University of Botswana Library Dimitri Kokinos: Portfolio Structuring Manager (Stanlib) million with Murray & Roberts

at a cost of P54

[BOTTOM] Gaborone Taxi Rank Shopping Complex >>> CONTINUED PAGES 08, 13, 18 Plot 7 at a cost of P2million with Murray & Roberts

“In this line of work you need to put youryour self in a position where you have interest and ownership of the projects you’re dealing with because structural engineering is a sensitive field in that we are dealing with peoples’ safety. We are putting up structures which are going to house lives so you can’t approach this profession as simply a job. You have to see it as a responsibility and a privilege.”

- Tapa Moseki

>>> CONTINUED PAGE 04

>>> CONTINUED PAGES 03, 04, & 06

FIND CREATIVE

TO COMMERCIAL

ANSWERS QU QUESTIONS.

IDEAS EXPO BOTSWANA is an event designed to combine the best of creativity, business and technology in which participants are invited to give talks, do demonstrations, and show their work.

Renowned experts in branding, business and marketing.

Interactive session for learning and networks.

Exhibition with the latest innovation.

Certification of attendance.

Latest trends and technology.

FNB’s CBD HQ – Intelligent Corporate Architecture

by Kibo Ngowi

First National Bank (FNB) has moved into its newly built headquarters in Gaborone’s rapidly developing Cen Central Business District (CBD). Located in plot 54362, the Head Office called First Place, boasts the banks’ “one-stopshop” capability. With an expansion of

LEFT: Felix Chavaphi, MIDDLE: Tapa Moseki, RIGHT: Matlhodi Keaikitse

Top: Guests and delegates at the CBD Event Bottom: Architect and Urban Designer Jo Noero from Noero Architects and University of Cape Town Right: Hon. Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry, Keletso J. Rakhudu, officially opening the event

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the office facilities accommodating all the Bank’s divisions such as Electronic Banking, Private Banking, Property Finance, WesBank, Firstcard to mention but a few, customers get a full bouquet of FNBB products under one roof. >>> CONTINUED PAGE 07

Birds-eye view

A Fresh Approach to Buiding a Home - Inside House Agolen II

by Leago Public Piazza

Office of the President

Sebina

As an architect, the opportunity to design a building offers, not only the creation of a physical expression of the building itself, but also the possibility for architecture to mould the life and

opposed to the way it is usually viewed, views from across the City. Boidus as being static. There is no other was buildrecently given exclusive tour of

by HK Mokwete

The current debate in parliament over a budget allocation request of P195 million for the purposes of augment augmenting funds to either- acquire or build a

>>> CONTINUED PAGES 08, 13

new office block to house the Office of

most basic and primal form of shelter for human beings.

>>> CONTINUED PAGE 14

fore, one could argue that architecture

The Relocation of the Office of The President Is it the Right Move Or Not?

the construction site to experience ing typology that embodies such a nofirst hand tion of architecture than the house, the this exciting project as it

memories of its inhabitants. Thereshould be thought of as being alive as

the President (OP) is missing the bigger picture of what should be debated when procuring the office space for the ‘Highest Office in the Land.’ >>> CONTINUED PAGE 04

CBD EXECUTIVE SEMINAR - Oct 2014 CBD EXECUTIVE SEMINAR - May 2013 DESIGNER’S FORUM - Apr 2012 BOTSWANA PROPERTY MARKET - Coming Feb 2015 BOTSWANA PROPERTY MARKET - Sep 2013 HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN BOTSWANA - Mar 2012

[

SOCIAL MEDIA Professionals Information Seekers Students Organization Affiliations Find us online:

Tenant Eviction

Process in Botswana The Tenuous Relationship Between Landlord and Tenant

takes his valuable property and allows a third party to live in it in ex-

change for a monthly fee. From the outset, one can see the plethora of problems that could potentially arise from such an arrangement and inp8 deed these problems often do.

By Kibo Ngowi

building materials suppliers to explore their financing schemes

can invest

p16

By Itumeleng Tebagano and Ajit Williams

Estate Solutions takes us inside this new addition to the Capital City’s skyline and reveals a building designed with an emphasis on communication, envi ronmental sustainability, performanceenhancing technology and peoplecentred working conditions.

BUILDING WITHOUT A BANK: Boidus Focus Speaks to leading

Botswana Insurance Company:

buying surety bonds

One of the most common disputes that a legal professional is tasked with litigating over is that between landlord and tenant. The relationship between landlord and tenant is one that requires a great deal of idealism; the proposition is that one

“It Remains The Best”

iTowers Fights For Mixed Use Supremacy With Second Tower

Francistown Stadium-One of the incomplete projects under MIST

Protection of

African retail/office property offers

‘significant opportunities’ p3

p8

instances of real security, a borrower

Retention Money

p9

What to be aware of when

MAIN FEATURE

is about making financial services

(mortgagor) offers his immovable

In an exclusive wide-ranging interview with Boidus Focus, the Minister of Infrastructure, Science & Technology Hon. Nonofo Molefhi and the Permanent Secretary of the same ministry Dikagiso Mokotedi open up about the priorities of Government’s main construction arm go-

DIY Special: How to replace

celling with drywall

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Investment & Foreign Expansion for Growth

accessible to individuals that have generally had no access to the same services in the past.

Registered at GPO as a Newspaper P15.00 (Including VAT)

HOME IMPROVEMENT

RDC Targets Residential

Slowdown in Botswana

Inclusion Mean for Property? ery government and financial services sector agenda in Africa. It has also found a very important place on Bo-

personal security and real security.

For the purpose of this article we are

more concerned with real security. In

Boidus Focus delves into the new Barclays headquarters in the Gaborone CBD and finds a remarkable work of corporate architecture boasting five stories, two levels of basement parking and 4500sqm of floor space for seating. The bank’s Head of Corporate Real

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IPD Index Reveals

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Employer & Subcontractor p10

What Does Financial Property Market

Financial Inclusion is currently on ev-

a debtor usually requires the debtor

to provide some form of security for the repayment of the debt. There is

Minister N. Molefhi

Contractual Privity Between

By Sethebe Manake

A creditor who advances money to

By Kibo Ngowi

OIDUS FOCUS

PROFEssiONAl PRAcTicE

lOcAl NEWs

Branding Gaborone into a

Diamond City delayed

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

LOCAL NEWS

Turnstar Set to Retain Position as

consumer education

Feature: A New New Cairo:

p12

HOME IMPROVEMENT

DIY Special: How to install

BOTSWANA’S BUILT ENVIRONMENT NEWSPAPER | Vol. 5, Issue 8 | august 2015

The Real Estate Advantage:

The Peculiar State of Stocks Versus Real Estate in Botswana

Inside The UB

State-of-the-art

says Owner

By Arnold Tombo

Built at a cost of over P300 milmil

By Keeletsang Dipheko and Kibo Ngowi

lion and boasting an arena with the capacity to seat more than 5000 people, the University of Botswana has just completed construction of

Design pad:

Project Feature Regent Lodge

p9

It’s no secret that the majority of Batswana are struggling to afford decent accommodation but not enough discussion has been directed towards possible solutions. Boidus Focus examines innovative initiatives with the potential to help solve the affordable housing problem. We found

able housing units BIH is developing in partnership with a Swedish based NGO; and learn about constructing houses

p3,5,9

with the use of steel.

Ten years into its existence, Phakalane’s only upscale retail centre, Mowana Park, is undergoing an ex-

pansion which will see it bring on board a Choppies Hyper and what

promises to be the largest Woolworths Foods in Botswana. Yet the

IPD reports (20.8% for 2011; 19.5% for 2012; and 21.5% for 2013) so the current level of 11.5% marks a significant drop

Company:

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Botswana Insurance Company:

construction liability

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By Kibo Ngowi

investment for the year ending December the previous

in 2013 to 11.5% in 2014, according to the fourth “IPD Botswana Annual Property Consultative Index”, released last

ening competition in Gaborone’s retail sector.

hind iTowers and why he believes it remains the best development of its kind in Botswana.

Built Environment Career Guide 2015

Registration of Architects

The Botswana investment property sector is experiencing a slowdown, with ungeared total returns falling from 21.5%

month. First launched in 2012, the index measures CEO of Synergy Group, late the last Mowana ungeared total returns to directly held standing property Park owners, insists that this move

was influenced by customer demand Botswana and has nothing to do with the tight-Insurance

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www.boidus.co.bw

out about the new technology BITRI has developed to make bricks out of Kgalagadi sand; go inside the sustain-

a height of 28 storeys. Appleby’s Director Batanani Nkhumisang talks to Boidus Focus about the vision be-

with an elevation of 19 storeys but the second tower, which is almost completely pre-sold and is at an advanced

ARC Set To Kick-start

and Not Competition,

Campus Indoor Sports Centre

When the first tower of the iTowers development was opened in 2013 it was easily Botswana’s tallest building

stage of construction, will dwarf it at

Mowana Park Expansion Influenced by Customers

Private Bag BRS15 Gaborone, Botswana

As part of a wider effort to establish a fully regulated environment for Botswana’s construction industry, the Architects Registration Council (ARC) will this year begin the process of reg-

In an exclusive wide-ranging interview with Boithis process will be carriedborders. out and how it will benefit the public at large.

p6, 15

Botswana Insurance Company:

Construction insurance Some Clauses & Extensions

Design pad:

Furniture restoration & repurposing

By Arnold Tombo

With a property portfolio valued at close to P1 billion, RDC is

professionals. Boidus Focusbest spoke to for its Masa Centre development in Gaborone’s known ARC Chairperson Mr. Goitsemodimo new CBD but the ambitions of this listed property compa compaManowe to learn more about howfar beyond the Capital City and past Botswana’s ny extend

istering all the country’s architecture

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p14

dus Focus RDC Executive Chairman Mr. G.R. Giachetti shares his thoughts on how the company has managed to achieve the stellar growth it has recorded despite operating under

Botswana’s tertiary education providers are becoming increasingly aware of the knowledge and skills needs of the

The Real Estate Advantage:

Design pad:

challenging market conditions and how they plan to sustain p3,4 growth going forward.

Derive the Full Benefit of Your Property

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country’s building and construction industry. Thus there is a growing variety

Office Interior Design Matters

of options available for both prospective and active built environment professionals. Boidus Focus breaks down the options for you in our built environp7,10,11 ment career guide.

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The Real Estate Industry’s

Both REIB and REAC are constantly monitoring the industry landscape to ensure that, especially in the firms doing real estate, only registered persons sell, rent, manage and value property. Together they undertake radio, TV, and print media, sensitizing members of the public against using unregistered persons for their property deals or work.

Chronic Nightmare

By Kitso Dickson

Property firms themselves are fretful that real estate industry will suffer long-term irredeemable trust deficit unless more stringent measures are applied by Conveyancers, Banks, Councils, Magistrates, marketing counterparts to work with two estate bodies.

• Fly-by nights a bullish factor • Market is distorted • Regulator overwhelmed

Director at Maison Properties, Nametso Maikana says REIB and REAC are wagging a steady war if the user market (corporates and individuals) increasingly persists to engage agents void of relevant qualifications of practice. “This is perhaps a time for a ‘Call to Action’ where all stakeholders involved, especially now while the market is still recovering, with banks starting to show interests and an appetite for lending,” she says in an interview with Boidus Focus.

Continued from the FRONT PAGE Multiplying unregistered real estate agents are engulfing property commerce, and are sustained by an ignorant user-market, limited resources and loopholes that deny monitoring bodies a cut back on the acceleration of unwarranted ridicule.

Property market watchers admit these occasions are drastically re-shaping the industry’s outlook.

Real Estate Advisory Council (REAC), say their short hands hinder plans to eject the episodes at play when quizzed by Boidus Focus. Spiralling figures of complaints concerning unregistered real estate practitioners are prompting the council to solicit support from registered real estate professionals, stakeholders and other entities to tamp down the culprits commonly known as fly-by nights.

REAC, a regulator, said it is intensifying efforts through educating the general public as well as occasionally publicizing names of registered real estate professionals in the media. “We have also decided to work closely with the law enforcement agencies to assist us in curbing this problem,” Mike Tumagole, a Registrar at REAC said by mail despite crying foul of manpower constraints.

Currently seven cases are reported to the Police and the individuals are lined up for prosecution, he tells Boidus Focus.

Real Estate Institute of Botswana (REIB), a registered society of Real Estate Professionals in Botswana could not provide comprehensive records of perpetrators when reached for comment, except conceding it’s an all-day thing. Rather, the society said it takes up complaints with the incapacitated regulator.

Re-elected President of REIB, Modiredi Maruping,

who was uncontested at the recent Real Estate Conference, concludes that, prevailing use of fly by nights by the market, playing down several warnings of the regulator, tarnishes the real estate industry and subjects the sector to shame.

“They do not have Professional Indemnity (i.e. an insurance that covers professional work) and are often not qualified or not trained to deal in land.

When they make bad deals it’s the consumer who suffers badly, without recourse,” he said in an email. “Some perpetuate corrupt deals so as to make a quick buck and are not concerned about professional reputation. As a result you come across deals where one piece of land is being sold multiple times without passing title,” he states.

Unless screws are toughened for practitioners to maintain physical presence, real estate proffesinals bet that more people are at risk of being misled by culprits, a consequence of undermining professionals within the monitored fraternity.

End users are entitled to confirm the validity of a professional in the industry, by referring to REIB or REAC and/or asking the individual to produce proof of membership by virtue of the REIB Membership card.

Actually, the said end-users tell us they prefer fly by nights because registered professionals charge more expensive rates which baffles Maikano.

Rather, she believes consumers only subject themselves to rip offs and the resultant distortion of the market at large.

“Consider the sale of a 1 hectare plot in Ranaka valued at say P100, 000. A fly-by night, ungoverned entity, manages to sell this property for P150, 000 cash, an immediate 50% commission is experienced off of the sale, which is 10 times more than the average commission charged by a registered entity/qualified professional. Reality is plain and simple, 50% as opposed to an average/ industry norm of 5% commission on a sale,” Maikano exemplifies.

From his stand point, the public that has suffered tend to shy away from participating in future property deals as they deem estate agents to be unscrupulous. In fact, the government’s position to condone an invincible hand to regulate house prices is rather a spine for unregistered estate agents in his views. “The only way to hamper their operations is through enforcement of the legislation,” he says.

Real estate agents are governed by the Real Estate Professionals Act 2003 that prescribes a practitioner carrying out work in Botswana to have registered with the REAC. Offenders are liable to charges not exceeding P50, 000 or 3 years prison term.

95

Modiredi is the more puzzled. “If for instance you put up your house for sale at P500,000 and you ask the agent to put whatever on top for their commission, would you accept him getting P500,000 as commission if he or she eventually sold your house for P1 million?” he quizzes.

Fees for services in the real estate industry were set in 2008 under the Act. However, market watchers say property firms often charge commission anywhere ranging between 3% and 7.5% depending on the sweetheart deals behind closed doors. This is the believe by most, although remains that properly trained real estate practitioners have a duty to advice a client so that he or

she does not suffer financial loss. Most brokering firms charge the industry norm/average of 5% commission on sales, understanding that clients want a lower percentage option. The higher the valuation, the lower the commission charged.

Maikano, a University of Cape Town graduate says market distortions are triggered as pleasantries of the exorbitant profit margins that sends markets haywire given that more and more people come into the market to take advantage of the profit margins. “If you have then purchased an overpriced plot and you further develop on this plot, your cost cannot accurately be captured in the valuation thus creating an unsustainable market boom.” She explained to Boidus Focus.

The premium cause of this, she says is the unemployment rate. For the most part of a good decade, Botswana’s economy has experienced a very high increase in the unemployment rate which was the main initiating factor, she says.

She adds that “these numbers were eventually absorbed by tender-prenuership, mostly into an industry that the individuals have little to no experience in”.

Market distortions are feeding another worry. If 90% of values are distorted (such as the P100, 000 plus 50% commission), Maikano says, a dominos effect sets off, and figures guide financial institutions in the loans made. “These transactions are all plausible by the mere fact that these transactions involved a willing buyer and seller,” she adds.

What property experts discourage for is the business of selling property without the qualification and registration to uproot horsetrading. If it is your own house or you are a marketing firm that is different, but perhaps consider it this way, you cannot value your own house, but it is yours nonetheless.

Get a qualified individual to do the work for you, you lose nothing by appointing someone equipped to do so. Rather, you gain peace of mind, more time to focus on what you actually are qualified to do and you are also less susceptible to fraud. Even pleasant enough, magnates say the integrity of real estate industry is divorced from disarray.

BoIDuS FEATuRE P6

BOIDUS FOCUS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015

Local Sustainable Building Materials

By Tlotlo Tsamaase Image Source: inhabitat.com Project: Greenfield the Cave

Continued from the FRONT PAGE

materials will be discussed and/or illustrated of their use:

From recycling materials to the utilisation of unorthodox materials such as cans, tires or clay-filled bottles built into the facades or reusing building materials to avoid depleting non-renewable resources—what are the benefits of using local materials and how can they be promoted?

Producing building materials is an energy intensive process that has environmental impacts, such as, increasing carbon footprint, the importation and transportation costs of material involved etc. Implementation of western technologies hogs the limelight from local technologies applicable to buildings. Indigenous communities implemented the use of local, natural materials which were easily accessible, inexpensive, were less harmful to environments and created jobs. In addition, they implemented strategies to create passive designs adaptable to their locality’s climate. Currently, that school of thought has been dismissed for non-sustainable, inorganic materials, and has been substituted for western technologies with the importation of processed materials elevating transportation and project costs. Several sustainable building

KALAHARI SAND BRICK (KSB) IS A COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCK. With accreditations from Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA), the kSB is created by Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI). It is an affordable and stronger brick composed of fly ash (a hazardous, industrial waste product discarded by Morupule mines) kalahari sand (an abundant material found in the kalahari Desert and several areas in Botswana. Its fine grain/sandy nature makes it an incompatible element for brick-making unless blended with other specific materials) and ordinary portland cement (OPC). The production of kSB is a more sustainable approach as it utilizes an environmental endangering product, fly ash, which has proven to be safer once integrated with other ingredients in making bricks; by replacing cement, fly ash reduces carbon footprint. The production of kSB eliminates the need to outsource building materials from far-off places thereby reducing costs and promoting sustainability.

THATCHING AS AN ALTERNATIVE ROOF MATERIAL;

workmanship and the quality of the material play a major role in the durability of thatch.

Though, thatch generally has a long lifespan if properly installed. Thatch is an inexpensive locally produced material. It does not require any form of machinery for installations, and creates employment. It’s not fireproof, but worldwide techniques have been developed to make the roofing material fire-proof by lining it with fireresistant material. In some designs thatch not only covers the roof but also the walls. Most often it’s considered unappealing because of its negative connotations for its dated, primitive appearance.

RAMMED EARTH is a common earth shelter that has been used for years.

It follows the process of earth filled into a formwork (which is considerably costly but various methods lacking formworks exist) which is then compacted, i.e. rammed. The earth is excavated directly from building site eliminating the need for transport. And though it has disadvantages, such as, its performance is rendered low because of exposure to rain; its benefits are: cost reduction, environmental benefits, it balances indoor climate, and it’s recyclable. Except, the use of “mud” for earth dwellings repels people because of

its unattractive association with rural areas, regarding it as a backward approach. Dr. Paul Lyamuya, a lecturer at the University of Botswana says, “What I have observed especially in Botswana, Earth is not a recognizable building material—not that we want to build in the traditional way. Many countries have developed techniques for improving earth construction, especially rammed earth or compressed earth blocks, which can be as strong as concrete.

In West African countries, the government has taken a position, that most institutional houses whether in urban or rural areas are built using earth. Although, they do not accept the traditional way, they insist on compressed earth blocks. In Botswana, in the building control regulation, earth and thatch are not one of the approved building materials. you need to have permission from the minister to use those materials.” In regards to this, it took a man in Maun two years to obtain permission to build in earth.

Ways of promoting local Building materials: There is the need for formulation of standards for local building materials such as earth or thatch. In addition, research organizations in the construction industry can aid in developing and promoting the use of local materials.

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OIDUS FOCUS Registered at GPO as a Newspaper | P8.00 (Including VAT)

OIDUS FOCUS

BOTSWANA’S BUILT ENVIRONMENT NEWSPAPER

www.boidus.co.bw |

Sustainability Today: 06 Starting blocks with

change Botswana’s Architecture Design and Urban Landscape Newspaperclimate | JUN E 2013

www.boidus.co.bw

NEWS | page 02

EDITORIAL | page 04

Letlole Larona Breaks Ground at the Kromberg and Schubert Botswana (Pty) Plant

Government to Promote Intro IntroHow ready is Botswana for Developduction of Residential Develop the Inevitable Change towards BOIDUS FEATURE > Decarbonisation targets? ment into the CBD Global

| Volume 4, Issue 7 | AUGUST 2014

Education Feature: 15 Botho University Builds Francistown Campus

Factors to Consider 18 When Establishing Sector Regulation

EDUCATION | pages 15

SUSTAINABILITY | page 06

www.boidus.co.bw

Guide to School Programmes: 2013 Built Environment Careers Guide

BOIDUS EXCLUSIVE >

OIDUS FOCUS NEWS | page 02

BUILDINGS | page 06

A Luta Continua on the Land Question Airport Roof Gone with the Wind

The Idea of Eco Cities: Need for harmony between policy and green initiatives

BOIDUS EXCLUSIVE FEATURE >

by Kibo Ngowi Bringing together key CBD stakeholders such as landowners and develop ers to engage on issues that affect their developments and investment

BR Properties - Botswana’s first Parastatal Property Investment Subsidiary BR Properties is a pioneer organisation as it is the first example of a company established to commercially exploit the real estate assets of a Botswana Government enterprise.

The performance of this company will serve as a test case for many other

departments with ambitions of creating similar entities. Boidus Focus met with BR Properties Managing Director Oarabile Zhikhwa to explore the brief history and long-term ambitions of her organisation. >>> CONTINUED PAGE 05

LEFT: Felix Chavaphi, MIDDLE: Tapa Moseki, RIGHT: Matlhodi Keaikitse

“I would say that as an engineer, especially in the construction field, experience is crucial, which is why firms tend to only hire engineers with a high amount of experience for senior project roles. And that’s understandable to me, because as much as you can go to school and read books, there’s no substitute for actually being involved in a project...”

- Matlhodi Keaikitse

Top: Guests and delegates at the CBD Event Bottom: Architect and Urban Designer Jo Noero from Noero Architects and University of Cape Town Right: Hon. Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry, Keletso J. Rakhudu, officially opening the event

The Boidus Media, State of our CitiesCBD Executive Seminar recently held at Masa Centre was by any measure a resounding success. The Seminar event brought together for the first time ever in Botswana, key stakeholders of the New CBD development such as investors, development owners, government, industry champions

and the public in sharing of ideas and opportunities about our upcoming CBD. Envisaged as the future heart of Gaborone City, the CBD is slowly taktak ing shape and the seminar sought to make it a centre stage focus of discusdiscus sions and professional deliberations.

In this Boidus Focus Special, find event abstracts:

As you reflect on the ‘challenges and opportunities’ of developing a CBD, I would like to encourage all of you to think of this as what our generation will be remembered for having done, not only for this City, but for the nation, albeit through the toughest times.

Assistant Min. of Trade & Industry, Hon. Keletso J. Rakhudu

by Boidus Admin

A Successful CBD represents among other things; • A success CBD Image of the city and the country Felix Chavaphi Portfolio • Generation of the country’s prosperity • Successful partnership between the Government & PVT[TOP] sector University of Botswana Library Dimitri Kokinos: Portfolio Structuring Manager (Stanlib) million with Murray & Roberts

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- Tapa Moseki

>>> CONTINUED PAGE 04

>>> CONTINUED PAGES 03, 04, & 06

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Buy or Build a new Home: The Pros and Cons

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by Kibo Ngowi / H. Killion Mokwete

win

Registered at GPO as a Newspaper | Volume 3, Issue #2

Botswana’s Architecture design & Urban Landscape Newspaper | M A R C H 2 0 1 3

Meet three of Botswana’s best Event Feature: State of our CitiesBDC FAIRSCAPE PRECINCT, The rising engineers BOIDUS EXCLUSIVE FEATURE >

Interactive session for learning and networks.

Exhibition with the latest innovation.

Certification of attendance.

Latest trends and technology.

FNB’s CBD HQ – Intelligent Corporate Architecture

by Kibo Ngowi

First National Bank (FNB) has moved into its newly built headquarters in Gaborone’s rapidly developing Cen Central Business District (CBD). Located in plot 54362, the Head Office called First Place, boasts the banks’ “one-stopshop” capability. With an expansion of

the office facilities accommodating all the Bank’s divisions such as Electronic Banking, Private Banking, Property Finance, WesBank, Firstcard to mention but a few, customers get a full bouquet of FNBB products under one roof. >>> CONTINUED PAGE 07

Birds-eye view

A Fresh Approach to Buiding a Home - Inside House Agolen II

by Leago Public Piazza

Office of the President

Sebina

As an architect, the opportunity to design a building offers, not only the creation of a physical expression of the building itself, but also the possibility for architecture to mould the life and memories of its inhabitants. Therefore, one could argue that architecture should be thought of as being alive as

opposed to the way it is usually viewed, views from across the City. Boidus as being static. There is no other was buildrecently given exclusive tour of the construction site to experience ing typology that embodies such a nofirst hand tion of architecture than the house, the this exciting project as it most basic and primal form of shelter for human beings. >>> CONTINUED PAGES 08, 13

The Relocation of the Office of The President Is it the Right Move Or Not?

by HK Mokwete

The current debate in parliament over a budget allocation request of P195 million for the purposes of augment augmenting funds to either- acquire or build a new office block to house the Office of

the President (OP) is missing the bigger picture of what should be debated when procuring the office space for the ‘Highest Office in the Land.’ >>> CONTINUED PAGE 04

>>> CONTINUED PAGE 14

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BOIDUS FOCUS october/november 2015

The marvelous mR KOLA, & his Mophato Dance Company Event: Mophato Dance Company, Triple Bill.

Venue: Maitisong Theatre.

Date: 22 to 24 October.

Reviewer: Aldo Brincat.

Mr Andrew Letso Kola is without doubt, one of the bravest men in the Arts. In economically challenging times such as these, Mr Kola continues to flaunt his fledgling contemporary dance company, Mophato, in a limited season, (Triple Bill), at the Maitisong Theatre. Not only that, he offers us one of the most challenging programs of dance I have ever witnessed in this country.

When entrepreneurship and diversification are words of the day, Mr Kola and his merry band of aesthetic athletes, stomp and flex in our faces; images of rape, despair and drought, that are by no means an easy sell, in times when Thebes are tight. Selling Chappies and Airtime on the side of the road is one way of bringing home the cash, but struggling to find rehearsal space, managing dancers’ schedules and injuries,

One Fire Too Many

booking musicians, and placating sponsors, is a very tough way to earn everyone else’s keep, let alone, your own!

Boasting a full company of dancers, live musicians, singers, and designer costumes, Mophato opens their program with “Inyaya”. The heartbreaking story of Segametsi Mogomotsithe hapless victim of a muti-murder in Mochudi in 1994. This event, went on to spark the biggest student riots and demonstrations, in the history of Botswana. Mr Kola doesn’t mince his words and he creates a tense mood from the get-go, by being quite literal and explicit with his story telling. We see the girl, we see her murderers.

We see the brutality, and the boiling riots. The arrival of the police, drew cheers and sneers from the audience, while the arrival of a Caucasian ballet dancer towards the end of the piece, complete with flowing white skirt and developing arabesques, sybolising the arrival of Scotland Yard (?), left the audience a bit bewildered.

Perhaps not the best fitting end to an excellent and emotionally charged piece.

“Kulema”, the second piece, is choreographed by one of the troupe- in particular, Kalima Mipata. Mr Mipata is an obsessive compulsive dancer, exuding limitless ability. As a dancer, Mr Kulema has the knack of setting the stage alight. He can elicit howls of appreciation from his audience with nothing more than a look in his eye, all while maintaining the athleticism and immaculate timing of a Marvel Comic Superhero.

housekeeping, management of the waste and the storage of raw materials are what differentiates a good risk from a poor risk.

By Christopher Burton In most cases, the lack of implementation is not intentional but rather due to the attention given to the day-to- day running of the business.

Many fires are not fortuitous and in certain instances could possibly have been avoided. This is not to be confused with arson. Botswana has had her fair share of fires in recent years, and notwithstanding that there is insurance cover, it has numerous knock on effects. For example if your company’s turnover revolves around selected customers one or more of those customers may not return once you have recovered from the effects of the fire.

Below are some observations following inspections of proper ties. This article focuses mainly on the fire aspect of risk management.

It is fair to say that every company should practice good governance and implement risk management/housekeeping in their businesses.

Another factor is that with the economic crunch still present, companies are diverting the money allocated to preventative maintenance and using it elsewhere and the money for preventative maintenance changes to breakdown repair/ maintenance. The situation is further exacerbated by the lack of regulations and compulsory standards.

It has been established that most fires start due to electrical short circuits. These short circuits occur because of a lack of annual inspections, incorrect maintenance, inadequate repairs, the use of obsolete equipment (possible budget restraints), illegal wiring, cheap or under spec equipment (adaptors) and general disregard for equipment.

The motto “don’t fix something that’s not broken” by and large applies.

Fires need fuel and this is often supplied in great quantities, due to a lack of housekeeping.

A packaging company, wood working, furniture manufacturer will naturally have a higher fire loading, not only because of the raw material but also the dust, saw dust, wood shavings etc. The

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With a lack of housekeeping there is also the tendency to overlook the employees. Many employees working in conditions that are not safe require protective clothing such as face masks, gloves and goggles, which are not issued. Owners and managers have a responsibility to offer employees a safe working environment which includes using employees that are skilled to do the work, ensuring minimum exposure to injury, disease etc.

Insurance companies carry out routine surveys to determine their exposure to a risk and to impose risk improvement requirements which are often precedent to the policy being issued or renewed.

Detailed below are typical shortfalls in basic risk management. Some may not apply to smaller companies.

• Insufficient firefighting equipment. No fire marshals or trained fire fighting team.

• No evacuation drills and assembly areas.

• No trained first aiders and/or first aid boxes.

• No procedures in the event of a serious injury.

• Lack of regard to waste management and incorrect storage of flammable liquids.

• No maintenance programmes on buildings, machinery and plants.

• No disaster plan.

• No disclaimers in lodges, hotels, sport clubs

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As a choreographer, he demonstrates great skill and vision. Kulema explores the existential crisis many of us face on a daily basis- that gnawing feeling that life is tough, but that giving up is not an option. Mr Mipata manages to draw us into his despair with one hand, while leading us into hope, with the other.

“Wosana” was the third and final piece of the evening. A nod in the direction of the Rainmakers from among our Kalanga brothers and sisters.

Sumptuous to watch, and captivating at every turn, the dancers fret and demand from the heavens. The anticipation that rain would come, (even onto the Maitisong stage), was palpable.

And as with the treasonous weather we do have here in Botswana, the dancers were left with nothing but the sweat on their bodies to cool them down.

Of all the art forms, I consider Contemporary Dance the most enigmatic and euphemistic of them all. The ambiguity of the art form itself, creates an environment of constant uncertain direction.

Mr Kola deserves our utmost respect and support. He continues, like a soldier against impossible odds- He continues for us, an audience who want to sample the earthly delights of dance; and he continues for his passionate young troupe, all of whom are enormously talented, and insanely devoted to their craft.

etc.

• Incorrect storage of LP gas.

• No formal S.H.E. programme in place (protective clothing).

• Lack of back up on debtors, creditors, stock inventories and copies being kept off the premises.

• Under insurance The absence of regulations and the lack of capacity to police the existing regulations have allowed landlords and company owners to get away with absolute minimum standards. B.O.B.S. has been successful in passing a number of compulsory standards which will go a long way to improving minimum requirements and these remain ongoing.

The storage of gas bottles in a building can cause a fire to reach new levels when gas bottles start to explode and gas leaks out of containers deemed to be “empty”. The fire may simply become a conflagration and result in unnecessary additional damage and the potential risk to lives. If the bottles are stored outside in a well ventilated cage (compulsory standard) this scenario will be avoided.

Sadly it sometimes takes a fire before companies accept the need for risk management and its ongoing implementation. Basic standard risk management is the responsibility of all companies irrespective of the sector, be it administrative, manufacturing or mining. Does your company fall into this category?

BOIDUS FEATURE P8

BOIDUS FOCUS october/november 2015

Tough requirements to maintain

physical presence within ARC territory

By Kitso Dickson

edible gardening

Architects Registration Council (ARC), the custodians of the professional registration has embarked on an operation to toughen requirement of servicing which academic experts say marks a new direction to clamp down a black-market afflicting clients.

the guidance of registrar for a certain period when given responsibility to demonstrate work and enhance quality.

Mwashita says this because “you cannot judge based on certificate” but rather portfolio. “Practices have more competence than certificate.” He adds.

The regulator, established under the Architects Registration Act of 2008 (Cap.61:08) commenced professionals architects registration, beginning of november. The transition for professional who have been on the ground will run for 6 months. Architects will be required to carry a professional degree from a recognised institution. ARC says it will be working with closely with the Botswana Qualifications Authority on a rigorous vetting process of qualifications under the category of Architect, Technologist or Draftsman.

Architects, Technologists or Draftsman are expected to have completed atleast two projects within the compass of architecture, ARC says.

Moemedi Gabana, an architecture lecturer at the University of Botswana (UB) says the construction industry is now at liberty to identify roles/titles preserved by rule resulting in utilisation of appropriate terms. According to the governing body, technologists and draft persons will only be allowed to perform within a specific scope, similar to other regulated professions. The UB lecture says this “defines who should do what”, emphasising that multiple fields within the industry will be inter-linked.

Gabana, also a director at Gabana Architects, a firm based on the ethos of cutting edge design approach, says construction industry, “one of the expensive fields”, works performs from various profession to preserve its dignity. “One should be well rounded on technology, business, finance, marketing e.t.c aspect of the professions” he pronounces.

His professional counterpart at the University of Limkokwing and Creative Technology, Josiah Mwashita, opines that registry serves will propel better execution of servicing to serve people at large. “It should not serve a few people but ensure everyone is fairly treated,” he says adding that the initiative should not be seen disadvantage students.

Both experts say graduates ought to be mentored under

Field architects insist that self-regulation by professions will have extensive importance contrast that by the state.

Tshoganetso Rantshino, an architect at Design Genro, a Forum for Design, says after so many false starts, public protection, the primary aim of regulation will propel uptake momentum. “The public is in trouble,” he quips, adding this will prevail unless a hedging tool is devised.

He says Botswana’s architecture should have an international standard.

Section 49 of the ARC Act stipulates it unlawful whilst not registered or as a member of the public to; • pretend/hold oneself out as architect, architectural technologist or architectural draftsperson, • use title (Registered) Architect, Technologist or Draftsperson • Practice/perform the Work of an Architect for gain/reward/fee (Directly or indirectly or to other person-individual, in a company or partnership), • Mislead members of the public to assume he or she is an architect, technologist or draftsperson; • knowingly employ a person suspended, not registered or deregistered. Penalties to offenders amount to P5,000/10 months and/ or P10,000/2 years imprisonment.

Many of us spend a lot of our valuable time, energy and money to make our gardens look lovely. The rewards are not always showing. Why not try ‘edible gardening’? Designing an edible garden that returns high quality home grown food is a great way to enjoy gardening. A handful benefits forth come with this form of gardening given that it’s a value adding investment to your home and family’s future. Edible gardening also saves you money on grocery bills, and accelerates better health. The first thing you need to bring to thought is the preparation of your soil. (refer to the previous Boidus Focus issue on how to prepare garden for planting). Consider the season as vegetables and fruits grow better in different seasons.

Planting tomatoes Planting You can either plant ready seedlings bought or for those who want to plant their own seeds it is important to plant them in a protected area for 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting to the garden. Select a site with good light and well-drained soil. Tomatoes need the sun so the garden should not be too shaded. Before transplanting seedlings outdoors, work the soil and mix in manure or fertilizer. When transplanting, establish stakes or supports in the soil. Staking keeps developing fruit off the ground while supports let the plant hold itself upright. Plant seedlings about 50-60 cm apart. Pinch off a few of the lower branches on transplants, and plant the root ball deep enough so that the remaining lowest leaves are just above the surface of the soil.

Care Water generously for the first few days. Mulch five weeks after transplanting to retain moisture. Fertilize two weeks prior to first picking and again two weeks after first picking. Prune plants by pinching off suckers so that only a couple stems are growing per stake.

Harvest/Storage Leave your tomatoes on the vine as long as possible. If any fall off before they appear ripe, place them in a paper bag with the stem up and store them in a cool, dark place. The perfect tomato for picking will be firm and very red in color, regardless of size.

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BOIDUS FOCUS october/november 2015

The Architecture Profession

is in transition

By Ofentse Moatshe, Architect Architecture profession is at a juncture that is about to make history in Botswana, bringing back the dignity/integrity to the name of ‘Architecture’.

Everyone within the industry is excited to see the changes brought by the newly established Architects Registration Council. The Architects Registration Council (ARC), the custodians of the profession is a registration body formed under the Architects Registration Act of 2008 (Cap.61:08) which when fully operational will contribute greatly to the architecture profession. Its primary mandate is to protect and regulate the practice of architecture in the interest of the public and by so doing administering the registration, bounding every practicing architect to register with them.

Like anywhere else in the world, every profession needs to be protected. This is to ensure that all

the involved stakeholders within the industry are protected and balancing the risk so as to promote the integrity of the profession. The architecture profession has been a free all marking and its high time the supervisory body for the architecture profession becomes active and protect the consumer from dishonest individuals whom might defraud in the name of an ‘Architect’ and tarnish the image of the profession for good.

Architects has the ability to conceive, visualize and conceptualize ideas from conceptions to reality, further to making this transition it will bring competition amongst designers, assuring best product for the consumers. Architects Registration Council (ARC) is a regulatory body exercising a regulatory function that is: imposing requirements,

restrictions and conditions, setting standards in relation to any activity, and securing compliance, or enforcement. Members of Architects Registration Council (ARC) are individual professionals and it is compulsory for every practicing architect to show evidence of registration to get recognition thus protecting the professional title of being called an architect.

On Thursday the 22nd of October, the first public forum was held to create awareness and sensitize the public and other involved stakeholders. The forum went well but still left many with more questions than answers. There is still a lot that has to be done to get the ball rolling. From the beginning of November there will be a transition period of 6 month while registrations are taking place. For Architects registration, one has to have a professional degree in architecture or equivalent qualification from a recognized institution. The registration will be a process involving inspection of qualification documents to prevent fraudulent practices and also to an extent of accreditation of institutions to ensure proper issuing of qualifica-

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tions. Architects Registration Council (ARC) will work closely with Botswana Qualifications Authority to assess the genuineness of qualifications and this being the determining factor to whether one qualifies to be an Architect, Technologist or Draftsman. Expectations are that applicants provide a record of works that meets the council standards.

In addition to the qualifications, the technologists and draft persons will only be allowed to work within a specific scope and will still need approval of an architect before they submit anything to council and for project implementation to inherit the professional liability.

The professional body will have a number of functions being:

• Set and assess professional examinations • Provide support for Continuing Professional Development through learning opportunities and tools for recording and planning • Provide networks for professionals to meet and discuss their field of expertise • Issue a Code of Conduct to guide professional behavior • Deal with complaints against professionals and implement disciplinary procedures • Be enabling fairer access to the professions, so that people from all backgrounds can become professionals.

• Provide careers support and opportunities for students, graduates and people already working.

Furthermore the council will work with Colleges and Universities to protect the interests of profession and quality. It will assist students understand who they are and to explore careers that match their abilities and interests. This will help young people develop their skills and to apply for university. After the registration process is done, the council will take charge to review the current curriculums offered locally to check their relevance to the industry. It’s a new revolution for the profession with ARC going through spring cleaning.

All these changes and transition to the profession ensures the protection of public interest. And when someone secures the services of an Architect, Technologist or Draftsman they are surely protected and can expect the work to be done:

• With reasonable care and skill • In a reasonable time (if there is no specific time agreed) • For a reasonable charge (if no fixed price was agreed in advance) If there is any breach of contract and the consumer wants to make complaint about the professional performance of a registered member of ARC, or believes the architect has acted outside of the code of ethics as a professional, there will be a Committee set up to deal with the issues as the complaint procedures makes part of the act. These procedures will deal with professional disciplinary proceedings from when the complaint is launched to how you can deal with appeals.

Transition is not an easy process and it does not happen overnight, the council will take several years to perfect it all and ensure doubts the community has have cleared off. To move with international trends the transition is necessary and is long overdue. All the involved stakeholders have to work together, have regular forums, reviews and make amendments where necessary, for it to work, without leaving anyone behind. The whole process also has to appear fair to all and working at the interests of all involved without disadvantaging anyone. It’s a new world to the Architecture profession in Botswana. The profession has been running blind folded for long and it is high time someone came and shed some light, giving hope to the new revolution.

guest columnist P10

BOIDUS FOCUS october/november 2015

Tendering & contracting strategies

By Natalie Reyneke

A recent development in Botswana is the announcement by the Botswana Government of the economic stimuls package, which will see the construction sector getting the financial bail out it so desperately needs. The result will be the construction of buildings, roads and other infrastructure, creating opportunities for contractors and subcontractors alike. In light of this boost to the construction sector, we intend, in the next couple of articles, to focus on various aspects of tendering and contracting strategies, from the contractor’s point of view.

Every contractor who wants to win the work of an employer is often faced with the decisions, when receiving enquiry documents from the employer, on what project risks to accept. The consideration of risk and the allocation thereof is an important aspect for consideration.

Best practice dictates that prior to compiling an enquiry document a thorough risk assessment process should be carried out. This process will identify safety, environmental, technical and commercial risks. Following this identification process, the risks should be quantified in terms of likelihood of occurrence and impact. The response to the identified risks is then determined along four basic risk responses.

These are detailed below.

Reducing the risk This process involves an action plan to minimise the likelihood of a risk occurring or its impact once it has occurred. Here are two examples: A new bridge project for a coastal port was to use an innovative, continuous cement pouring process designed to save time and money. The major risk was that pours of the various sections of the bridge might be interrupted by a lack of supply requiring that any poured section would have to be demolished and re-poured. An assessment of possible risks centred on delivery of the cement from the cement factory. Trucks could be delayed or trucks could break down. The risk was reduced by erecting two separate batch plants near the site on different access ways in case the main factory supply was interrupted .

An example of reducing the impact of a risk is by taking out insurance against specific risk. The insurance policy pays part of the costs of the damage caused by the risk.

Retaining the risk A party to a contract may choose to retain a risk. Typically this is done because the cost of transferring the risk to the other party is too great and the retaining party is probably best equipped to deal with such risk.

Transferring the Risk This is a common method of dealing with risk. In certain contracts (for example where a contract is financed) the risk is usually stacked heavily against one of the parties. There are numerous

critics of this approach. John Barber states that “a contract which is blatantly one sided or, in effect, a trap for the unwary is not conducive to a satisfactory outcome of a construction project for either party.”

Sharing the Risk This approach to risk management is characterised by the parties each taking ownership of risk to a defined level. This approach has gained popularity in recent years with the development of partnering and target cost contracts.

These risk responses are detailed in the contracting strategy selected and the contract documents which form the basis of the enquiry.

When tenderers receive these documents and submit prices they have an opportunity to price the risk response strategy adopted by the employer or propose changes to such risk response strategy through qualifying their tender.

1. Example taken from Project Management, the managerial process, Clifford F Gray and Erik W Larson, Irwin, McGraw, Hill, 2000 at page 145.

2. John N Barber, Risks in the Method of Construction Risk responses are determined by a number of factors. For example, when it comes to external financiers, they are typically risk averse and the contract strategies utilised and the contract conditions which are developed for such contracts typically reflect this risk aversion.

An example here is the FIDIC 1999 1st Edition Engineering Procurement and Construction

Contract which places the majority of the risk squarely in the hands of the contractor. Another good example is the use of a set of conditions which could be characterised as ‘fair’ (in contrast to other conditions used in other industries) found in building contracts. This is typically due to the risk in these contracts being fairly well understood and therefore low.

• The invitation to tender should set out the following in respect of the conditions of contract: • The contract agreement (or form of offer and acceptance); • The particular or special conditions of contract; • The standard form conditions of contract (see below); and • Pro forma documentation such as the wording for any securities (such as bonds and guarantees).

These documents will enable the tenderers to properly assess the commercial risk presented by the anticipated scope of the project. I regularly conduct risk assessments for clients on conditions of contract in enquiry documents, where numerous amendments have been made to standard form contracts. The presence of such amendments usually signify the employer’s attempt to shift certain risks to the contractor and I see this time and time again. Desperation for work on the part of the contractor may push them to accept risks that they normally would not. Contractors should always make use of their opprtunity to price the risk response strategy adopted by the employer, or propose changes to such risk response strategy through qualifying their tender. A failure to do so could result in dire consequences for the contractor.

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Environmental impact and sustainability

By A. Williams and K. Mooko Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) can be used to increase environmental sustainability by marking out all larger developments and those likely to have bigger impacts on the environment.The purpose for EIA is to ensure that decision makers consider environmental impacts before any developments are undertaken. Presently we have the Environmental Assessment Act, No10 of 2011.“Sustainability” is one of the world’s most talked about but least understood words. Its meaning is often clouded by differing interpretations and by a tendency for the subject to be treated superficially.

The significance of this concept and the EIA in Botswana should not be taken lightly. The construction industry has been recording steady growth, mainly due to the building of residential housing, factories, Development of the Central Business District(CBD) and the design and implementation of civil engineering works such as roads, bridges and communication infrastructure.

The construction industry exerts enormous pressures on Botswana’s natural resources. It is one of the largest exploiters of both renewal and non-renewal natural resources mainly due to its reliance on the natural environment for the supply of raw materials such as timber, sand and aggregates for the building process. According to the World Watch Institute (2003), the building industry consumes 40 percent of the world’s raw stones, gravel and sand and 25 percent of the virgin wood per year. The major impacts of construction activities include dust, noises, solid and liquid wastes, falling objects and ground movements. Thus the EIA Act was put in place, so as to enable the assessment to take place and to set requirements for new projects with potential negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts as well as for subsequent major alterations that may be made to different projects.EIA predicts possible impacts rather than waiting for them to happen, acting as a preventive mechanism, identifying and requiring the avoidance, reduction of or compensation

for high impacts. This can be a stimulus to good design. This is a very good thing, though if you don’t re-examine and reassess periodically you may remain unaware of physical, biological and socio-economic changes. Narrow definition of impacts might also mean that designers are not fully informed and thus designs may be deficient.

For most companies, countries and individuals who do take this subject seriously the concept of sustainability embraces the preservation of the environment as well as critical development-related issues such as the efficient use of resources, continual social progress, stable economic growth, and the eradication of poverty.In the world of construction, buildings have the capacity to make a major contribution to a more sustainable future for our planet. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for instance, estimates that buildings in developed countries account for more than forty percent

of energy consumption over their lifetime (incorporating raw material production, construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning). It must further be noted that for the first time in human history over half of the world’s population now lives in urban environments and it’s clear that sustainable buildings have become vital cornerstones for securing long-term environmental, economic and social viability.

The environmental assessment process further allows for key information to be made publicly available and it ideally involves a wide range of disciplines, organisations, individuals and thus different skills are available for more effective and informed decision making. The range of involvement can at times be narrow however and inter-disciplinary working still has some way to go.

It is pivotal that every construction company leaves as small of a carbon footprint as possible and it is important to care for the earth, of regardless what of you are doing, and an environmental assessment seems like a good way to esure you are on the right track.

home improvement BOIDUS FOCUS OCTOBER P11 2015

BOIDUS FOCUS october/november 2015 HOME IMPROVEMENT P10

DIY Projects - How to Prep for Laying a Patio or Path [Source: www.diynetwork.com]

iNTRODUCTION

Just as walls require sound foundations for construction, surfaces such as patios, paths and driveways also require a firm base. Foundation depth and type is purely dependent on whether the area will be used only for walking on, or whether cars will be driving or parking on it.

Other considerations include the need for adequate drainage, so that water is channeled away from the surface, and away from any walls and the house. As well as being functional, paths and patios have a role in garden design and are often made of decorative materials.

Designing Paths and Patios

You may already have a clear idea of where you want a path to lead or a patio to be situated, but take time to consider your options. As well as taking into account the hard landscaping itself, think about how the layout and materials fit in with the overall design and style of your house and garden. If your garden has an informal style, consider including some areas for planting, and staggering paving materials to soften straight lines. For a more formal area, choose geometric shapes to carry on the theme.

Patios

Privacy is a key concern when planning a patio, because both you and your neighbors will probably prefer not to be overlooked. The exposure

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of a seating area is also important—a south- or west-facing area receives the most sun during the day and early evening.

Paths

You can use garden paths to lead the eye to a focal point and to create interest, or they can be purely for access. Your choice will influence your design—a decorative path might take a winding route, while an access route is more likely to follow a straight line. You can use a single material to create paths, or mix different surfaces. Consider laying slabs or pavers in different patterns.

Edging

Hard-landscaped areas are generally designed with some form of edging. If you are making a gravel path or using slabs or pavers laid dry on a sand bed, the edging will help prevent any lateral movement of the surface. Even if the slabs or pavers are bedded into mortar, an edge of some type provides the neatest finish. If a hard-landscaped area abuts a lawn, the edging should be lower than the lawn, so that you can mow over it. Treated lumber can be used or edging blocks bedded into a mortar strip. Treated lumber is the most straightforward to work with, does not require mortar and provides instant guidelines for leveling across a site.

Utility Covers

Never seal over any utility covers or other access points to underground services with any kind of hard landscaping. Either build around them or, if they are set very low, create an easily removable and well-marked panel in the surface above or raise the cover itself on a course of bricks. Engineering bricks are ideal for building up the level of a utility cover because of their strength.

Damp-Proof Courses

The top of an area of hard landscaping that abuts the house must be at least 4 inches below the damp-proof course in a masonry house wall.

Any higher than this and splashes from falling rain can bridge the course and cause water problems inside.

Laying Pavers and Slabs

The pattern chosen for laying slabs or pavers is very much a personal choice. Manufacturers often provide good displays or brochures showing the various options. Some simple types of paver and slab design are shown below. Also remember that bricks can be used for paving. You can also buy cut or curved slabs to create alternative designs. Cutting such a curve yourself is practically impossible. Don’t forget that you can also pave areas with any combination of pavers, slabs, gravel and cobbles.

Drainage

You will need drainage around the edge of large hard-landscaped areas. Standing water near the house may soak into walls and cause mildew.

Water on a paved surface can lead to the growth of algae and vegetation, making it slippery and dangerous—a problem for paving laid on a concrete slab or if mortar has been used. If pavers have been bedded onto sand, some water will drain down through joints and into the subsoil below. Always lay paths and patios with a very slight slope running away from adjacent walls.

Establishing a Slope

Over a small area, you can establish a slope to aid drainage by reducing the amount of mortar or sand under slabs or pavers as you move away from the house. For larger areas of hard landscaping, establish the correct slope in the foun-

dations. A slope of 1 inch in 6 feet is sufficient.

Planning Foundations

Paths and paved areas that will take the weight of vehicles will need more extensive foundations than those used only by people. When planning a major project like a new driveway, seek professional advice about the foundations.

Slabs

If you are laying slabs for a path or patio that will not be driven on, they can be laid directly on a compacted subsoil base. If the base has been recently disturbed by excavation work—for example, if an extension has been recently built— lay a crushed stone base on the compacted soil.

The slabs may then be dry laid onto a sand layer or laid on mortar. The excavation depth will vary.

Ideally, crushed stone should be 4 in (100 mm) deep. Slabs can also be laid on an old concrete surface without any excavation.

Pavers

Foundation requirements for pavers are similar to those of slabs for paths and patios. However, for driveways and parking areas, pavers do not need a concrete base. They can be laid on compacted crushed stone covered with sand.

Square Paths and Patios

Use strings and pegs to lay out an area for a square patio area

Planning a Path

For straight guide lines, use string & pegs. A garden hose is ideal for planning curves in a design.

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BOIDUS FOCUS october/november 2015

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BOIDUS FOCUS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015

The Game of Futurology

By Jan Wareus architect/town planner

We now understand that our predicted growth rate, although very modest, must be adjusted close to zero. What will happen with our sustainability for the future?

When discussing sustainability, there is a problem, even a serious hindrance when trying to look into the future we must plan for. It is the kind of very ignorant extrapolation of what we have today to plan for the future – let’s have a look and start with the writings of a philosophy mentor (Lars Gustafsson). I’m quoting the following:

“Since Ossip Fletchtheim (in the 50’s) as the first sociologist used the term futurology much has happened. The usual system of institutions, publications, and expensive international conferences, usually characteristic of an independent and active scientific branch, has grown. Futurology has already (in the late 70’s when this was printed) its own schools, its own stars and prestige-systems of its own. Most industrial countries with self-respect have established independent research institutions in futurology…..

More or less explicitly, the modern futurology appears claiming to be a scientific activity in its own right, an independent branch of social sciences....as if an “independent science” logically can be independent of other sciences.”

The basis for the claim of being autonomous to other sciences is - it’s a science about the future!

But, the future is something that doesn’t exists and its substance now, at this time, is impossible to know intimately, thus futurology is principally different from other existing disciplines (apart from theology, maybe).

Consequently, most futurological scenarios are free from “surprises”, a bit astonishing when coming to politics. As kahn and Wiener state in their book “The year 2000” (from 1967): “For every decennium there are changes, often many, that are more or less turning points – thus all studies of the distant future are quickly out-ofdate” – and we are now at such a turning point!

Now to the major cognitive errors of futurology as it has being applied in development planning and how it ought to have been applied (e.g. balancing/ analyzing even impossibilities).

To many, it’s astonishing and confusing how we planners handle the future. We see trends and we are extrapolating these statistical trends like they were religious commandments. We don’t make research and investigate the basis for a given “prognosis”. We are hanging on to the tail of the cow and can’t give it the right direction as my father-in-law used to say. We are bad futurologists!

I will now be pointing to the plan B’s we need for the future. These plans must be based on balanced trends that are analyzed and tested against a future situation. There are many indications that we have neglected such a dialogue with our clients/users and between ourselves – and for a final judgment and appreciation of our profession, we will certainly need it.

A very wise man I remember - my grandfather once said, coming home from helping is old father on a half year trip to America to see a few of his relatives, and on return finding the well he once constructed almost empty: “When you can see the bottom, it’s too late to dig a new well – we will suffer”, he told his wife!

I have reason to remember this now here in Botswana where we also see consequences a bit late. We have been through power, meat, construction problems and are now seeing the bottom of the wells! To me we have true planning problems and the planners are ignorant – why?

Well, in my opinion, we do not take the true responsibility of planning the future as it becomes clear that it isn’t what it used to be. And we should know – that’s what planning and the education was there for. And here an obscure futurology is coming in!

For too long it has only meant reading statistical trends, without any quality and sound judgment of these trends – as they were given by higher authorities as the basis for future life. Totally forgetting that we embarked very late, a couple of stations before the end terminal, jumped onto the industrial train that had been running for more than 200 years in developed countries and was on the way to the final place for “recycling” at best.

Running in periods on steam, oil and electricity and now the scarcity of fossil fuel is rationed (by price). We will not be able, never, to start up a train like that and we must go for a “plan B”.

But instead of advising our clients about the unavoidable future we kept quiet and went on extrapolating trends into 2025, even longer. Very much aware of a changing future, we have been creating an unsustainable situation, functionally and economically based on “wishful thinking” – what’s happening in the world today has been predicted since mid last century and we all had it in our lists for reading (e.g. Hubbert’s theory and curve from 1956 and the finite resources). And since the 90’s, Internet has been full of information from leading scientists regarding the final count-down for eternal progress.

The early days of futurology was mostly statistical “trendsetting” and now we all know this

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kind of illusive “art”. Let me give you a kind of metaphor from a book of an old philosopher (but I don’t understand fully why he called his friend -Jan). However, it tells us something about trends and its validity: “If my friend Jan is doubling his alcohol consumption from Monday to Friday during a week, this is a tendency, a statistical trend.

It’s completely rational to say that if this tendency is ongoing, Jan’s alcohol consumption will soon be more than five liters a day, if the tendency is right.

But this is a very bad prognosis as Jan since long (by economical and health reasons) has discontinued this development. If not, he had long died from acute alcohol poisoning. Jan’s alcohol consumption is an example of a tendency that simply cannot continue. A prognosis cannot be based on a tendency by a mechanical extrapolation into the future. It is thus reasonable to make a prognosis on basis that it cannot be extrapolated.”

Consequently (according to the author), the realistic forecast that Jan’s alcohol consumption sooner or later will result in a catastrophe or crisis, and thus an interruption of the tendency, is simply telling us that as much as we understand - we need a kind of adjustment and balance between different prevailing facts at hand.

Tendencies must be balanced against our collective knowledge of the world, as isolated they are not good basis for any prognosis at all. But this is not how we have been planning until now. The tendencies we see, e.g. for population growth, state of markets, growth of GDP etc. must be balanced against our knowledge of limits – physical and biological limits, limits for resources, as well as political, psychological and anthropological limits – it’s delusive if we base it on eternal GDP growth!

We are now in times when we have to consider what is not possible in the future and then we are into so called “negative prognoses” not at all popular among various politicians as most of them promise “positive prognoses” to voters.

For example – a negative prognosis is that there is in no ways, plausible that the growth of world population will result in only standing room available for human beings – in other words, population growth will not continue as the tendency as per today. The same for energy and resource consumption – can’t go on forever when the cheap energy (fossil fuel) is finite and has become many times more expensive than ten years ago – today price for oil barrels is temporary, we know, and a kind of cleaning the market from “villains” of various kinds. However, a negative prognosis must be discussed among

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LEFT: Felix Chavaphi, MIDDLE: Tapa Moseki, RIGHT: Matlhodi Keaikitse

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the planners as the question regarding what is possible in a close or distant future is “open”.

The real futurology is nothing like meteorology (a set of known weathers) – what can happen is a completely open question and we have to realize this fact.

We are in a situation that is similar to a driver of a potent car, approaching a sharp bend and we must reduce the speed to stay on the road. But negative prognoses, contrary to the affirmatives that we so far used, are possible if we keep open concepts about futurology, I understand, and recommend to us all.

What I’ve seen so far from congresses and publications and presented as results from futurological research is nothing but the impact of political and economical interests, extrapolated into the future, more or less camouflaged as a “rational” science. Futurology as “negative inventory” will not result in the same theoretical ambiguity as it from the start is free from being fixed to a limited choice of future scenarios.

To go on with my friend’s essay I’m reading (see reference below), I must convey a fine observation that he has: We know that certain psycho-drugs taken with rather innocent proteins, like the ones in cheese, might become a killing poison. So, a society might have a number of components as uncontroversial as cheese and appreciated for what it is and how it make the digestion work well. But the same components might change radically in the effects if a new element is added – technically, politically or economically – that in combination with the well known stuff will change the working among the components.

The innocent and hardly known mixture can become a sufficient condition for a radical change, even with catastrophically shaped effects. There are many such events to study from history. For example – petroleum was something in small bottles good for liniments, massage and wonder remedy in the 1800 hundred in USA. But became a mighty primary product when the combustion engine was invented and industrialization started on “autopilot”.

Consequently we have to look for combinations instead of extrapolating trends and the future for us is in the combination of many considerations and sustainability over time becomes a planning priority. I think we must leave the “development control” to technicians and use our broad educational and working experience creatively for the future.

The only method to see the future is to create it!

Anything else is hypocrisy and we are reducing our profession to simple fashion sewing for ignorant clients. The trends that most development plans are based on, amounts to bad jokes at society’s expense!

[

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BOIDUS FOCUS october/november 2015

Design Pad:

Of Women and their Bathrooms

By Tshepiso Motlogelwa, Interior Designer tsmotlogelwa@gmail.com

As women, we tend to spend most times working around the house and minding everyone else’s business. For some, after a long taxing day at work, we are still faced with tasks to ensure that kids’ assignments are fulfilled, dinner is prepared and so forth. We look for relief from our hectic lifestyles by making our home a true haven of relaxation. It is for this reason that the bathroom is where we create our own havens! This is where we get to unwind and forget everything else. The bathroom is one place in the house where we can forget about everything else and tend to pamper ourselves with complete love!

A bathroom is directly related to the hygiene that you maintain. An untidy and messy bathroom thus breaks your complete image. Besides a bathroom being an extension of your image, bathroom interiors are also important for personal hygiene. A scattered bathroom often smells more rapidly.

Air remains un-fresh and hence gives out a strong unkempt feeling. Friends and relatives will hesitate from using your bathroom but more than anything, you as the bathroom owner would also curtail from entering such a bathroom, preventing you from enjoying priceless relaxation moments. Thus, it is very important to give due attention to the interiors of your bathroom.

There are a large number of factors to be kept in mind while selecting bathroom tiles such as colour, surface, composition, gloss and the durability.

“In as much as design goes a long way in deciding what has to be placed on shower floors, it is equally vital to note that mosaics are always a better choice. They provide a better gripping effect due to numerous grout lines” says, Eppie Maunzagona, an Architectural consultant at RVV Tile Gallery. The finer details of tiling such as grouting also play an important role in ensuring the optimum hygiene of your bathroom. “Care must be taken to ensure that bathroom floors (including the shower floors) have fine grout lines, that is, not more than 2mm spacing for hygienic purposes as bacteria tends to incubate and thrive in larger grout lines” says Eppie.

One can think that the ‘look’ of a bathroom is most important but the sense of touch and the sense of smell play an equally significant role in the well-designed bathroom. Different elements come together to create a serene and functional bathroom.

but you can’t really rinse off the soap and/or dirt.

They feel good. Water flowing over your body, particularly if you’ve chosen a good showerhead, can feel almost like a massage.

You can use hot and cold water for hydrotherapy. One type of hydrotherapy (or water therapy) involves taking a warm shower followed by a short burst of cold water. The change in temperature is said to help release tension then stimulate and invigorate the body.

Bath

Storage Wall shelves basically serve the same purpose as storage racks. However, you can also use wall shelves to keep your daily wear clothes, towels and other toiletries.

All these furniture items embellish the complete interiors of the bathroom. The bathroom looks bigger, spacious and fresher. It remains tidy and organized. All these tips should be used in order to help your bathroom stay hygienic and tidy.

They’re relaxing. Soaking in a warm bath, particularly with some aromatherapy bath salts, is an indulgent way to soothe aching muscles and sore feet, relieve stress and take some time for yourself. They help your circulation. It is said that a warm bath dilates your blood vessels and helps circulation, it relieves your aches and pains and can be very therapeutic.

They may help relieve pain. Immersing yourself in a bathtub of water helps take weight off of joints and muscles, and may be beneficial for arthritis, back pain, headaches, sports injuries and more.

Scents in the bathroom The bathroom generally has the reputation for being the most unpleasantly odorous in the home so keeping it fresh will have a big impact.

The scents of the bathrooms should always be refreshing, calming and natural.

Here are the most purchased scents of candles and home deodorizers; Relaxing Vanilla Sugar: Soothing and sweet, vanilla is often a subtler scent that does not become easily overwhelming. www.ducrx.com

www.cayhin.com

Energizing Citrus: Popular for its ability to re-energize a person, citrus scents are often described as happy and summery and will bring a bit of warmth to the atmosphere of your bathroom.

Natural lighting No one would like to find themselves in a dark, damp bathroom therefore windows are a must get. A good bathroom design, like any room, benefits from natural light. Getting natural light into your bathroom while maintaining privacy from the neighbors requires good planning. Think about what’s around your house when placing your bathroom windows. One way to gain natural light with privacy is to create a private outdoor garden space with a privacy wall around it. You can then have windows without shades or even patio doors into the garden and never need to worry about prying eyes. www.beetreehomes.com

Fresh Pine: Crisp and refreshing, the scent of pine needles is often associated with cleaning products and can give your bathroom an atmosphere of cleanliness and fresh air.

It is also advisable to have a plant in the bathroom for better natural oxygen.

A good bath is a preamble to a good night’s rest and it also gives you the strength to face a brand new day with a renewed mindset.

Shower versus bathtub Some people prefer taking a bath whilst others swear by a shower. Then there is the, slightly less common, bunch who like to mix things up, taking a shower some days and baths on others. Ultimately, the question of whether to take showers or baths is up to you to decide, but below I outline the benefits of both;

Shower They’re fast. Theoretically, you can be in and out of a shower in a less time than it takes to fill up the tub.

They’re effective. Showers allow you to wash and rinse. Baths allow you to wash,

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BOIDUS FOCUS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015

The Real Estate Advantage:

2015

The Year that Was

By Sethebe Manake, ©Vantage Properties

The New year is upon us and finally we get to see the end of the very volatile and not so happy 2015!! The holiday festivities will have us all in a good mood and see us through December before we get hit by the realities of the arrival of 2016. For now I choose to bask in the joys of the end 2015.

While on that note the Real Estate Conference was held in Palapye at the end of October 2015, themed: Sustainable Development and Economic Diversity with Emphasis on the Opportunities in the Central District.

The Conference was very insightful with different stakeholders presenting what they see as opportunities not only in the Central District but

those that are presented by legislation now in 2015 and beyond.

Much debate was brought about by the learning’s that the kweneng District Council Physical Planning Committee presented on the Implementation of the Town and Country Planning Act 2013 have experienced over time. Mr Matsaunyane highlighted the biggest difficulty that councils are likely to face in high growth areas, mainly that as the planning authorities attempt to implement approved development plans, they find themselves between a rock and a hard place because stakeholders may have not been effectively engaged.

The planning authorities can only act within

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the ambit of the planning instruments which prescribe that “ Ploughing Fields within detailed layouts may not be converted to any other use”

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One of the other hot topics was the presentation of the New Land Policy that was presented

by The Minsitry of Lands and Housing’s, Ms S Maroba. Much of the aspects were highly welcome and present great opportunities for the development of tribal land and more organised planning across the country.

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as such cannot be converted to uses that the private sector may have identified as a need and opportunity at the time. A big statement of “ BUyER BEWARE” as the public tend to transfer or buy pieces of ploughing field with the intention of developing residential estates.

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Some key points: 1. All allocated land will finally be registered. which means you can take a bond on your tribal land without having to convert it into a lease.

2. All Freehold land will be declared planning areas 3. conversion of tenure to freehold will be prohibited 4. Every motswana will be eligible to one plot at a place of choice 5. low Income group to be allocated plots at subsidized prices.

6. waiting lists to be maintained 7. lease rentals for agricultural land will be at “ mARKET RENTAlS” 8. Tourism Sites such as “ cultural Villages” will be set aside for community tourism purposes 9. land Servicing will be encouraged through Private Sector Participation 10. Adequate compensation will be paid for land acquired for public Good!!

There were many other discussions that are key to note and should wet the appetite of the investor, that I believe would allow for true speculation investment across the country without limitation of rights, access to finance. Where the fundamentals of investment would be easily at play, with adequate compensation we will now be able to see expropriation as a positive development of our villages as opposed to impoverishment to those that are affected by it.

As a citizen of this country and a real estate expert who attended the Real Estate conference, I say welldone!! And I definitely look forward to an investment friendly land policy!

©vantage properties info@vantagepropertiesbw.com

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BOIDUS FOCUS october/november 2015

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Based on; THE CONTRACT SURETY BOND CLAIMS PROCESS Developed by the Associated General Contractors of America (www.sio.org.)

overview What is a surety bond?

A surety bond is a three-party contract. One party, the surety, promises, in accordance with the terms of a bond, to answer for the default of another party, the principal. The third party, the obligee, is protected by the bond. Typically, the principal and surety will promise to perform or pay the obligee up to a stated amount of money for damages if the principal fails to perform its contract obligations. A fourth party, the surety bond producer or “bonding agent,” is not actually a party to the bond, but is a resource to the other parties and often will have a facilitating role in a claims situation, especially because the bond producer often is the most familiar with the principal and its immediate situation.

Do surety bonds function like traditional insurance policies?

Although the surety is almost always an insurance company, the surety bond is not a typical insurance policy. The surety provides financial assurance of its principal’s performance. The surety does not “assume” the primary obligation, but is secondarily liable. The principal remains primarily liable for performance of its contract.

The principal must reimburse the surety for any loss the surety may suffer by virtue of the surety having extended surety credit to back the principal’s performance. The obligee is protected by the bond against financial loss as a result of the principal’s default. The bond does not, however, guarantee that disputes will not arise between the oblige and the principal.

claimed to have occurred, there has been a failure somewhere. This is so even if it is only a failure in communication or expectations and not a true default. By the time an obligee makes the difficult decision to terminate a contractor, the principal and obligee are often frustrated, distrusting, and unhappy with each other. The unique facts and circumstances of the project, the personalities of the parties involved, the exact terms of the bonds, and differing state laws on bonds and contracts mean that no two default situations are ever quite the same. Hard and fast rules or guidelines as to any party’s expectations are difficult, if not impossible, to establish.

Is each claim or default situation unique?

PERFORMANCE DEFAULTS Can sureties help avoid performance defaults in the first place?

None of the parties enters into contracts with the expectation of a default. When one occurs, or is

There are innumerable instances in which sureties have mitigated performance problems

Tel: +267 3188 015 Plot 142, Unit 1 Gaborone International Finance Park

BUILD WITH CONFIDENCE.

With construction guarantees from BECI, you can get on with your contract works without having to worry about the risks that often come with a project.

BECI provides guarantees to ensure that your contract will be performed according to its terms. In the event that the contract is not performed, BECI will pay damages if the contractor cannot.

BECI surety bonds, or guarantees, include: Bid/tender bond Performance bond Advance payment bond Retention bond Letters of intent

so that such problems did not rise to the level of contract defaults. To that end, sureties offer their principals assistance and benefits to ensure their completion of bonded obligations, including accounting and technical assistance. One of these unseen benefits is where a surety takes control of contract funds and provides additional capital to a struggling contractor to avoid a default. This may happen without the oblige even knowing that a problem existed and happens more often than many obligees realize.

What should an obligee expect in a performance bond default situation?

A performance bond provides assurance that the oblige will be protected if the principal fails to perform a bonded contract. It is a financial “safety net.” The performance bond does not guarantee that there will be no disputes, disagreements, or delays. While bonded contractors are pre-qualified, the bonding process does not guarantee peace and harmony when disputes arise. An oblige should not expect otherwise.

What is the general timing of the surety’s response?

The most frequent complaint by obligees in default situations is the speed at which decisions are made and action taken. Most contracting parties are reluctant or slow to declare a default.

They often provide opportunities to the principal to cure a perceived default. They may tolerate imperfect or slow performance for extended periods of time while the other party promises improvement. By the time a default is actually declared, the obligee may be at wit’s end. Perfectly rational general contractors that would never think of giving a mechanical subcontractor less than two weeks to properly price and scope its work for a bid in a very controlled situation find themselves demanding that the surety mobilize in the midst of controversy, properly assess the status of the work, present a plan for the completion of a half-complete mechanical system, and commence productive work in less time. It simply cannot happen.

What is the importance of formal termination of the principal’s contract?

Two contractors cannot perform the same work at the same time. That is one reason most bond forms make the formal termination of the principal’s contract a condition precedent to the surety’s performance obligations. Although sureties will insist that they cannot assume responsibility for performance unless the contractor is terminated, that does not mean they cannot and should not investigate the problems and consider alternatives prior to the termination.

Early warning and cooperation are always helpful in minimizing everyone’s losses.

BECI is a subsidiary of Botswana Development Corporation

If the obligee does decide to terminate the bonded contract and call upon the surety, the surety and the obligee generally have a number of options. Some bond forms spell out the options and make them part of the agreement.

Some forms are silent on the subject of performance default options. Whether or not the bond spells out the options, or even if the options in the bond are limited, it always makes sense to explore all possible options for the resolution of disputes and the completion of bonded work.

EDIToR’S NoTE P18

BOIDUS FOCUS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015

Editor’s Note:

Is the ESP What the Doctor Ordered

for the Construction Industry?

by H. Killion Mokwete / RIBA Chartered Architect After 5 years the of bruising Construction Industry projects freeze in Botswana’s budget spending, the announcement of the much talked about Economic Stimulus Package (ESP) sounds more like what the doctor ordered for the industry, or does it not?

just how will spending in the Industry stimulate the economy? Can spending on building a number of teachers houses some schools and roadways really stimulate a sluggish economy? Local economists have already expressed their doubts on this question. Dr Jefferies suggest that structural reforms are rather a better bet for jumpstarting the economy and maintaining sustainable growth going forward.

My observation is that as long as the industry relies heavily on buying building materials from outside the country, uses international companies to build schools (which in turn import machinery and materials), then very little of this money will remain in the industry.

Since the announcement of reduced spending on new public projects to focus on maintenance budget, the industry has taken a serious direct hit with massive outlays, brain drain as well as firms closing down as uncertainty and lack of work took its toll. Botswana’s construction industry is after all driven by government spending, with tendering of government work making bread and butter for all consultants practicing within the industry.

What is needed is a deliberate a construction industry citizen empowerment strategy, coupled with a broad strategy for sourcing all building materials and/labor from Botswana to be central to the expenditure of the ESP. Where certain skill sets are not available locally and international firms needed, then there has to be a skills transfer requirement to all international experts to ensure that local skills can be developed for the future and long term self reliance of the industry. Lastly the long talked about unbungling of mega projects should be fully practiced. This would also encourage firms to form consortiums to bid and deliver the so called mega projects where they would previously have been disqualified due to issues of capacity.

Now that there are plans to spend money in the industry with an overall aim of stimulating the sluggish economy, the question is where and how much exactly will be spent on the Industry? When will this projects roll out begin? There are after all, many other initiatives announced in the past budgets that are yet to see the light of the day. Initiatives such the scarping of VAT for youth owned business and cancellation of transfer duty for first time home buyer announced 2 years ago are still to be realised.

So, the industry waits with bated breaths to hear specifics on this stimulus and see the actual roll out.

The far bigger question that remains unanswered is;

Boidus Team - October/November 2015 MANAGING EDITOR H. Killion Mokwete

ART DIRECTOR Bridget MacKean

CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTION Mogapi Ketletseng

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ACCOUNTS Ngwewabo Mokwete

SALES Tebogo Sekwenyane Susan Benjamin Amantle Letsweletse Eric Matebu

GUEST COLUMNISTS Jan Wareus Natalie Reyneke Sethebe Manake Tlotlo Tsamaase Tshepiso Motlogelwa Aldo Brincat

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BOIDUS FOCUS october/november 2015

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