World Urban Forum highlights SA's housing programmes - By Proffesor Ndawonde
China - As a leader in building integrated human settlements, South Africa's housing programmes and projects have been profiled at the World Urban Forum.
The forum provided a platform for dialogue and discussions among different role-players in housing, construction and urbanisation to find solutions to create integrated human settlements.

South Africa: Infrastructure Spend a Boost for Construction - SOME listed construction groups in SA have continued to report robust earnings growth - thanks in large measure to the government's spend in a bid to deal with infrastructure backlogs. [AA Construction]

Liberia: "Liberian Contractors Are Hustlers" - The President of the Liberian Construction Constructor, Foday Kamara says Liberian contractors are hustlers who lack the capacity to perform. [AA Construction]

Eritrea: New Elementary School Constructed in Emni Haili Sub-Zone - A new elementary school has been constructed in Adi-Gebru, Emni Haili sub-zone, at a cost of 2.5 million Nakfa through the collaboration of a benevolent Scottish family and the inhabitants of the locality. [AA Construction]

Nigeria: KDSG to Build Primary Schools With Burnt Bricks - The Kaduna state Governor, Architect Mohammed Namadi has disclosed that all primary schools in the state would henceforth be built with burnt bricks to eliminate the cost of renovations thus limiting the waste of resources in the state. [AA Construction]

Lubango, - At least USD 14 million was invested by the "Admar Damião" group in the construction of a three-star hotel in Lubango city, southern Huíla province.

Speaking to ANGOP this Tuesday, the head of the department of hotels and tourism in the region, João Silvestre, said that the hotel with four floors shall have 61 rooms, two restaurants, and an equal number of games rooms, swimming pool and other compartments.

Nigeria: Estate Agents Express Divergent Views on Economic Crisis - Industry practitioners appear undecided as regards how the current global economic meltdown will affect the local housing/construction sector. [AA Construction]

Nigeria: Court Halts Construction Works on Ex-Minister's Multi-Million Naira Complex - An Abuja high court, last Friday, granted an interim injunction stopping construction works on a multi-million naira complex in the FCT belonging to former Information Minister, Chukwuemeka Chikelu. [AA Construction]

Angola: Building Companies Warned to Speed up Works - The governor of central Bie province, Cândida Celeste da Silva, Friday here warned construction companies to go faster with the conclusions of the works aimed to speed up the province reconstruction and to respect the contract timetable with the government. [AA Construction]

The East African (Nairobi) http://www.nation.co.ke
26 October 2008 / Posted to the web 30 October 2008
Halima Abdallah K - Nairobi

Architects from East Africa want to play a more active role in government construction and planning departments to correct the current mess in the region's urban centres.

According to the architects, underqualified or unqualified personnel have usurped the role of professionals with political heads such as mayors and councillors taking over technical roles like approval of plans.