May 2008

Architect Africa Society : South Africa - Faces & Places

H-Bar UEFA Champions league hosted at Melrose Arch on Wednesday 21 May 2008.

Pictured above, Raksha Kassie and Lebo Motswenyane from Speakers Corner at Melrose Arch rooftop venue.

South Africa: Immigrant Says Camp is a 'Pigsty'

May 28, 2008 - 19:21
South Africa: Immigrant Says Camp is a 'Pigsty' - CONDITIONS for victims of xenophobic attacks at Onderstepoort, north of Pretoria, are bad and unhygienic, with one displaced immigrant likening the camp to "a pigsty". [AA Urbanisation]

Nigeria: Gwarinpa - a City On Its Own

May 28, 2008 - 19:21
Nigeria: Gwarinpa - a City On Its Own - There's definitely no way you can talk about the capital city of Abuja without talking about the largest estate in West Africa, which is Gwarinpa, due to its massive landscape, we call it "a city on its own". [AA Urbanisation]

South Africa: Motorists Advised to Be Careful At Modderfontein Road

May 28, 2008 - 19:20
South Africa: Motorists Advised to Be Careful At Modderfontein Road - Motorists are advised to be vigilant of construction traffic which will access and exit the construction site of the Gautrain viaduct bridge on the Modderfontein road, near Germiston. [AA Construction]

Kenya: Residents Pay the Price of Unplanned Construction

May 28, 2008 - 19:19
Kenya: Residents Pay the Price of Unplanned Construction - Construction of unplanned residential houses is threatening supply of clean water in some estates in Nairobi. [AA Construction]

South Africa: NW to Increase Number of Women in Construction

May 28, 2008 - 19:19
South Africa: NW to Increase Number of Women in Construction - The North West Local Government and Housing Department is to increase its efforts to employ more women in construction projects, says departmental MEC Howard Yawa. [AA Construction]

Nigeria: Nasarawa Engages Firms for Cement Factory, Hotel

May 28, 2008 - 19:18
Nigeria: Nasarawa Engages Firms for Cement Factory, Hotel - A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Nasarawa State government and two Abuja based companies for the construction of a five-star hotel and a feasibility study for the establishment of a cement factory. [AA Construction]

Nigeria: First Bank to Construct N125 Million Vip Center

May 27, 2008 - 00:56
Nigeria: First Bank to Construct N125 Million Vip Center - First Bank of Nigeria Plc at the weekend disclosed that it has concluded plans to construct a VIP Centre valued at N125 million at the University of Nigeria Nsukka before the commencement of the Nigeria University games which will be hosted by the institution. [AA Construction]

Zimbabwe: Construction Industry Workers Get Wage Increase

May 26, 2008 - 18:53
Zimbabwe: Construction Industry Workers Get Wage Increase - The Zimbabwe Construction and Allied Trades Workers' Union said on Wednesday that it had secured agreement of employers to increase minimum wages for workers in the industry to $9 billion per month with effect from June 1. [AA Construction]

South Africa: Small Building Companies Begging for Work

May 26, 2008 - 18:52
South Africa: Small Building Companies Begging for Work - SMALL and mid-sized construction companies that turned down work a year ago because they were so busy with residential construction projects are now begging for work. [AA Construction]

South Africa: Building Industry Heads for Slowdown

May 26, 2008 - 15:08
South Africa: Building Industry Heads for Slowdown - ACTIVITY in the building industry is expected to slow significantly this year as residential and nonresidential property developers feel the strain of higher interest rates, inflation and electricity problems. [AA Construction]

Uganda: Put Up Flats, Get People Pumping Iron

May 26, 2008 - 15:08
Uganda: Put Up Flats, Get People Pumping Iron - One of the greatest public relations officers ever to serve this country, albeit for no salary, was Winston Churchill. While concluding the manuscript of My Africa Journey, he summarised his whole experience in three word: "Concentrate on Uganda." [AA Construction]

Uganda: Roko Contracted to Develop Shimon Land

May 26, 2008 - 15:03
Uganda: Roko Contracted to Develop Shimon Land - THE long-awaited redevelopment of former Shimoni Demonstration Primary School and Teachers' College land has began. After a17-month stagnation, the Saudi investor, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Alsaud, has contracted Roko Construction to build a hotel. [AA Construction]

Uganda: The Dutch to Build Sh1b Prison in Moroto

May 22, 2008 - 21:11
Uganda: The Dutch to Build Sh1b Prison in Moroto - THE Netherlands government has given Uganda sh1.2b for the construction of a prison in Moroto district. The Dutch ambassador, Jeroen Verheal, made the revelation last week at a ground-breaking ceremony for the project in Moroto. [AA Construction]

South Africa: Building Plans Passed Drop 1,7 Percent

May 22, 2008 - 21:10
South Africa: Building Plans Passed Drop 1,7 Percent - BUILDING plans passed for the private sector fell by a seasonally adjusted 1,7% in the first quarter of this year compared with the same quarter last year, official data showed yesterday. [AA Construction]

SOUTH AFRICA: Townships in turmoil raise fears that xenophobia will spread

May 22, 2008 - 21:10
SOUTH AFRICA: Townships in turmoil raise fears that xenophobia will spread - JOHANNESBURG Friday, May 16, 2008 (IRIN) - Violence against foreigners has flared up over the past week in Alexandra, a township in northern Johannesburg, South Africa, leaving two dead and more than 60 injured. Up to 1,000 people are still seeking refuge at a local police station and there are fears that xenophobic attacks will spread. [IRIN News]

Namibia: Housing a Major Headache

May 22, 2008 - 00:33
Namibia: Housing a Major Headache - Unavailability of land is a major stumbling block for non-governmental organisations that want to speed up the process of providing affordable housing for the poor. [AA Urbanisation]

Kenya: Housing Given a Boost

May 21, 2008 - 11:49
Kenya: Housing Given a Boost - A number of incentives will be introduced by the Government to spur the development of houses. [AA Urbanisation]

Kenya: Nairobi to Swallow 12 Towns in Expansion Plan

May 21, 2008 - 11:48
Kenya: Nairobi to Swallow 12 Towns in Expansion Plan - A plan to transform the City of Nairobi into a metropolis makes radical proposals on its expansion, transport and rate collection. [AA Urbanisation]

Namibia: Old Mutual to Build 21-Storey Building

May 21, 2008 - 11:46
Namibia: Old Mutual to Build 21-Storey Building - Old Mutual Namibia has unveiled a 21-storey building project that it said will represent one of the largest post-independence building investments in Namibia. [AA Construction]

Nigeria : Govt Votes N50bn for New PH City

May 16, 2008 - 17:18
Nigeria: Govt Votes N50bn for New PH City - The Rivers State Government has begun the building of a new Port Harcourt city at the cost of N50 billion. [AA Urbanisation]

South Africa : Gauteng Seeks Solutions to Skills, Capacity Challenges

May 16, 2008 - 17:17
South Africa: Gauteng Seeks Solutions to Skills, Capacity Challenges - Senior managers from the Gauteng Provincial Government, including provincial municipalities, are attending a two-day conference to explore various ways of responding to challenges of skills development and capacity of the state. [AA Urbanisation]

South Africa : PE Councillor for Housing Clarifies Media Report

May 16, 2008 - 17:16
South Africa: Pe Councillor for Housing Clarifies Media Report - Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Councillor for Housing and Land Eldridge Jerry says allegations contained in a recent media report around the awarding of certain contracts are false. [AA Urbanisation]

Nigeria : Communities Fault Fadama Projects in Kaduna

May 16, 2008 - 17:14
Nigeria: Communities Fault Fadama Projects in Kaduna - Disagreement has erupted between some rural communities in Katsina State over the quality of jobs executed in the state. [AA Construction]

South Africa : Johannesburg : Public called to comment on City Improvement Districts

May 16, 2008 - 02:46

By Rudo Mungoshi

Johannesburg - The City of Johannesburg has called on members of the public to submit written suggestions on whether City Improvement Districts (CIDs) should be set up in residential areas.

CID spokesperson, Nthatisi Modingoane, says the city has been petitioned for the establishment of CIDs in purely residential areas, according to the city's official website.

"We have received numerous requests from the public to set up CIDS in residential areas. This new trend raises a number of legal and policy issues and the city would like to make a well-informed decision on whether or not to support such CIDs."

A CID is a partnership between the city and the private sector aimed at improving the management of the urban environment to benefit owners, tenants and visitors.

Tanzania: Zanzibar's women plaster old city

May 15, 2008 - 13:17
Tanzania: Zanzibar's women plaster old city -

Tanzania: Zanzibar's women plaster old city - Source: BBC NEWS
Years of neglect have left many buildings in Stone Town, the historic capital of the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar, close to collapse - but now a team of women builders are trying to put that right.

Nigeria : Lost Yoruba kingdom

May 15, 2008 - 13:16
Nigeria : Lost Yoruba kingdom -

African archaeology Nigeria: Lost Yoruba kingdom - An older article but one which may be of interest:

By NORIMITSU ONISHI

read more

 [AA South Africa]

Which country has the largest collection of pyramids? Think again, for it is not Egypt...

May 15, 2008 - 13:16
Which country has the largest collection of pyramids? Think again, for it is not Egypt... -

African archaeology: Which country has the largest collection of pyramids? Think again, for it is not Egypt, but Sudan - Source: Al-AhramWhich country has the largest collection of pyramids? Think again, for it is not Egypt, but Sudan. Join Mohamed El-Hebeishy as he visits north Sudan in search of answers

Nigeria: Population Explosion - Lagos to Set Up 7 Satellite Towns

May 15, 2008 - 13:09
Nigeria: Population Explosion - Lagos to Set Up 7 Satellite Towns - Lagos state government is to establish seven new satellite towns in different parts of the state as part of moves to decongest the highly populated density areas within the metropolis. [AA Urbanisation]

Nigeria: More Than 800,000 Residents Evicted From Abuja From 2003 to 2007

May 15, 2008 - 13:06
Nigeria: More Than 800,000 Residents Evicted From Abuja From 2003 to 2007 - More than 800,000 residents were forcibly evicted from informal  settlements in Abuja, Nigeria, from 2003 to 2007, during the  administration of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nasir Ahmad  el-Rufai, according to The Myth of the Abuja Master Plan: Forced evictions as urban planning in Abuja, Nigeria, a new report released  by the Geneva-based Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) and the Lagos-based Social and Economic Rights Action Cen