October 2009

Uganda: Housing Finance to List On the Bourse

October 31, 2009 - 04:25

Uganda: Housing Finance to List On the Bourse - HOUSING Finance Bank is to list onto the Uganda Securities Exchange by 2011, Nicholas Okwir, the managing director, has announced. [AA Construction]

Zimbabwe: Homeless Put Their Hope in Handmade Bricks

October 29, 2009 - 23:05

Zimbabwe: Homeless Put Their Hope in Handmade Bricks - The use of handmade bricks is revolutionizing housing in Chinhoyi, 120km north of the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, where housing estates built by poor people have mushroomed in a development that has caught the attention of the housing ministry. [AA Urbanisation]

Rwanda: Construction Attracts Most Investments in Third Quarter of 2009

October 29, 2009 - 23:04

Rwanda: Construction Attracts Most Investments in Third Quarter of 2009 - Rwanda Development Board (RDB) early this week released its quarterly update on Business Reform and Investment Performance, where results show that the construction industry attracted the most investments valued at Rwf 7.2 billion. [AA Construction]

Zimbabwe: Housing Woes Poised to Ease

October 29, 2009 - 23:03

Zimbabwe: Housing Woes Poised to Ease - Government is committed to providing affordable decent accommodation and has adopted a policy of incremental development that allows construction of houses while the land is being serviced, President Mugabe has said. [AA Construction]

Tanzania: Interest On House Loans to Fall - Govt

October 28, 2009 - 17:11

Tanzania: Interest On House Loans to Fall - Govt - The Government is working on efforts to lower interest rates on housing loans to enable the people afford decent accommodation. [AA Urbanisation]

Tanzania: Sh16 Billion Water Scheme All Set to Commence

October 28, 2009 - 17:11

Tanzania: Sh16 Billion Water Scheme All Set to Commence - Work on a major water project to cost $12.43 million (about Sh16 billion) is expected to kick off next month. [AA Urbanisation]

Zambia: World-Class Shopping Complex On Copperbelt Underway

October 28, 2009 - 17:10

Zambia: World-Class Shopping Complex On Copperbelt Underway - THE Government has signed an Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA) to facilitate the $210 million expansion of Manda Hill Shopping Centre and construction of a regional and international complex on the Copperbelt. [AA Urbanisation]

Uganda: Ugandans in the U.S to Build Sickle Cell Centre

October 28, 2009 - 17:09

Uganda: Ugandans in the U.S to Build Sickle Cell Centre - Ugandans living in the city of Dallas in the US are to raise funds for the construction of a sickle cell centre in Uganda. [AA Construction]

Uganda: Government to Set Up Construction Firm

October 28, 2009 - 17:08

Uganda: Government to Set Up Construction Firm - THE Government plans to establish a state construction company. [AA Construction]

Nigeria: Uni-Abuja Hospital's Emergency Unit to Gulp N400 Million

October 28, 2009 - 17:07

Nigeria: Uni-Abuja Hospital's Emergency Unit to Gulp N400 Million - THE Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Dr. Peter Alabi, yesterday disclosed that an estimate of N400 million is needed for the ongoing expansion of the Accident Emergency/Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. [AA Construction]

Nigeria: Work On Lafia Multi Office Complex Nears Completion

October 28, 2009 - 17:07

Nigeria: Work On Lafia Multi Office Complex Nears Completion - Work on a project to provide a complex housing four ministries of the Nasarawa State government is nearing completion along Lafia-Akwanga Road in Lafia, the state capital. [AA Construction]

South Africa to concentrate on job creation in key sectors including Construction

October 27, 2009 - 18:16
Cape Town - Over the next three years, government will focus on five key areas to grow the economy and transform South Africa into a safer, healthier, more skilled country that is able to create and sustain more jobs.

Despite the fact that expenditure on infrastructure such as roads and transport has risen sharply, the country has made little progress on many of the Millennium Development Goals.

Too many children cannot read or count, too many women die giving birth and too few people are reached by public employment programmes.

Government's key areas outlined in the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement are: supporting job creation; enhancing education and skills; improving provision of health care; driving a strategy to assist rural areas and upping the fight against crime and corruption.

Government plans to continue investing in infrastructure over the next three years and to promote the access to basic services - such as water, sanitation and electricity - to expand public transport and to build more schools and hospitals.

Government to transform the economy

October 27, 2009 - 18:07
Cape Town - Government plans to transform the economy by expanding growth and job creation, while developing a more effective public service, says Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

Presenting his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in Parliament today, Gordhan said a sound fiscal position has allowed government to sustain public services and to increase spending on investment aimed at raising future growth.

A Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 1.5 percent is forecast for 2010, with a forecast growth of 3.2 percent in 2012.

There are signs that the economy is recovering, said the minister.

While the GDP is expected to decline by 1.9 percent for 2009, South Africa is expected to experience a growth in GDP in the last quarter of this year.

Consumer price inflation has fallen from a peak of 13.6 percent in August last year to 6.4 percent for the same period this year largely as a result of moderating food and oil prices and a stronger rand.

Nigeria: Katsina to Build Orthopaedic Hospital

October 27, 2009 - 17:18

Nigeria: Katsina to Build Orthopaedic Hospital - KATSINA State government has concluded plans for the setting up of an orthopaedic hospital in the state. [AA Construction]

Nigeria: 'Port-Harcourt City to Reclaim Lost Beauty'

October 27, 2009 - 17:17

Nigeria: 'Port-Harcourt City to Reclaim Lost Beauty' - The peninsula beauty of Port Harcourt will soon be restored as efforts are being made by the Rivers state government to reclaim the masterplan of the city which was drawn up since the 1920s and has been bastardised over the years. [AA Construction]

The State of African Cities Report

October 27, 2009 - 03:36

By 2030 the majority of Africans will be urban residents, and the majority of them will live in slums and informal settlements unless radical corrective measures are taken. To leverage Africa's options in an environment that is simultaneously global and local, it is important for its leaders at all levels to develop forward-looking visions based on analyses of where Africa is now and where it wants to be in the future. 

This publication aims to provide focus and encouragement to African governments at the central and local level as well as to other key actors in the broad area of sustainable human settlements development. 

The report is available at http://www.unep.org/urban_environment/urbannewsletter/IssueFeb09/publications.asp#StateofAfricanCities

Nigeria: Cities Alliance Approves Nigerian Report

October 27, 2009 - 03:07

Nigeria: Cities Alliance Approves Nigerian Report - Minister of State Works, Housing and Urban Development Mrs. Grace Ekpwhire has announced that the Cities Alliance has approved the long awaited "The State of Nigerian Cities Report," with the purpose of gathering necessary information on Nigerian Urban Centres with a view to address the challenges in the city centres for sustainable development. [AA Urbanisation]

Nigeria: FCT, Chinese Firm Seal Pact On Housing

October 27, 2009 - 03:06

Nigeria: FCT, Chinese Firm Seal Pact On Housing - The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Chinese firm, Chinese Global Group Corporation (CGGC), to deliver mass housing, boost development of infrastructure and power generation in the in the territory. [AA Construction]

Nigeria: Adamawa Govt, Spanish Firm Sign MoU On Stadium

October 27, 2009 - 03:05

Nigeria: Adamawa Govt, Spanish Firm Sign MoU On Stadium - The Adamawa State Government on Friday said it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a Spanish firm on the construction of a multi-purpose stadium. [AA Construction]

Nigeria: Making Fortunes From Demolition Sites

October 27, 2009 - 03:04

Nigeria: Making Fortunes From Demolition Sites - It was a case of one man's misfortune being another man's blessing at the Ifesowapo Iron Market, along the Lagos-Badagry expressway, at Orile Iganmu. [AA Urbanisation]

Mozambique: Two New Railways Planned

October 27, 2009 - 03:03

Mozambique: Two New Railways Planned - The Mozambican government is planning two new rail lines that will link the centre of the country to the northern line that runs from the port of Nacala to Malawi. [AA Urbanisation]

Voltas Technologies (Pty) Ltd

Voltas Technologies Pty Ltd has a comprehensive range of quality renewable energy products and has the expertise to provide customised heating and cooling solutions based on solar technology. The company hold the South African distribution rights for a number of absorption/adsorption systems in South Africa of including those manufactured by Broad (China), Yazaki (Japan) and Sortech (Germany).

Voltas Technologies also has distribution rights for the EcooSolar range of integrated solar water heating systems produced by the Himin Energy Group (China) for which an SABS mark of approval is imminent. The company also owns the SOLARO brand, an integrated solution for solar water heating installations manufactured entirely in Europe and now distributed in South Africa.

First commercial solar driven air-conditioning system in South Africa

October 26, 2009 - 15:02

... was just a question of time


It is an interesting paradox of South Africa's sunny climate that the very source of heat, which necessitates cooling in buildings, can in turn be utilized to cool these very same buildings. An exciting showcase project to prove the efficacy, efficiency and economic viability of commercial solar driven air-conditioning system has been implemented in Pretoria. The system has been installed, commissioned and is currently fully operational and data is being collected and monitored for later analysis. Utilizing absorption chiller technology, the project aims to define a new method of cooling buildings in Southern Africa.

Ghana: Nadowli District Assembly Interacts With Stakeholders in Construction Industry

October 26, 2009 - 14:47

Ghana: Nadowli District Assembly Interacts With Stakeholders in Construction Industry - The Nadowli District Assembly has initiated an interactive forum with stakeholders in the construction industry and other development partners aimed to address the challenges confronting the development of the district. [AA Construction]

Kenya: Ngilu Tells of Plan to Build 16 Big Dams

October 26, 2009 - 14:46

Kenya: Ngilu Tells of Plan to Build 16 Big Dams - The Kenyan Government plans to build 16 large dams in the next 10 years to address the perennial water shortage in the country, Water minister Charity Ngilu said on Saturday. [AA Construction]

Nigeria: Govt Gives Contractors Marching Orders

October 26, 2009 - 14:46

Nigeria: Govt Gives Contractors Marching Orders - The contractors handling the construction of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) projects in Bauchi have been advised to work strictly within the guidelines and contracts' term provided in the specification of bill of quantity of the project to avoid double job as all sub standard jobs would be rejected. [AA Construction]

Nigeria: Kogi Deputy Governor Moves Into Uncompleted Building

October 26, 2009 - 14:45

Nigeria: Kogi Deputy Governor Moves Into Uncompleted Building - This is not the best of times for the Kogi State Deputy-governor, Chief Phillips Salawu, as he has moved into an uncompleted building to serve as his temporary office pending the completion of his official residence which is under construction. [AA Construction]

Nigeria: Council to Renovate Tennis Pavilion at Apapa Club

October 23, 2009 - 08:15

Nigeria: Council to Renovate Tennis Pavilion at Apapa Club - The Chairman of Apapa Local Government Area, Hon. Ayodeji Joseph said his council would assist the Apapa Club to execute some of the renovation projects currently undertaken by the club's management committee as a strategy to help the historic club regain its past glories. [AA Construction]

Nigeria: Lagos Residents Protest Demolition of Houses

October 23, 2009 - 08:15

Nigeria: Lagos Residents Protest Demolition of Houses - Over 2000 residents of the Ishefun Community in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State yesterday protested against the demolition of their houses and the re-allocation of their and to politicians and friends of the government. The residents who gave the state government a two week ultimatum to return their lands to them, threatened legal show down after the expiration of the ultimatum. [AA Construction]

Namibia: Hospital Kitchen- Not What the Doctor Ordered

October 23, 2009 - 08:14

Namibia: Hospital Kitchen- Not What the Doctor Ordered - CONSTRUCTION work in the Central State Hospital's kitchen has been compromising patients' health for almost a month, since food is being prepared there despite the renovations. [AA Construction]