Act regularised

Council of Zimbabwe Act (Chapter 27:22) through an earlier promulgation of the Engineering Council (General) Regulations of 2010.
The regulations were published on October 15 last year. The Engineering Council (General) Regulations give guidelines on the issuance and renewal of both registration certificates and practising licences.
Minister of Public Works Joel Gabuzza said the new regulations, which are now operational, will ensure that all practicing engineers adhere to the basic requirements of practising in Zimbabwe.
“The requirement for registration now applies to anybody wanting to practise engineering in Zimbabwe.
“All foreign engineers wishing to practise in Zimbabwe are required to be registered with the Engineering Council of Zimbabwe,” said Minister Gabuzza.
The Engineering Council (General) Regulations of 2010 empower the Engineering Council of Zimbabwe to sanction individuals who contravene the provisions of the Act.
In terms of the law, engineers practising without proper certification are subject to level eight prosecutions, which consists of either one-year imprisonment or US$500 fine, or both.
Minister Gabuzza said he had received complaints from the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Infrastructural Development that tollgates being constructed across the country are sub-standard.
“There is always an engineer-in-charge overseeing such projects, which is perhaps a reflection of the calibre of engineers operating in the country.
“There are also reports that some local companies are engaging foreign engineers to oversee projects at the expense of local engineers. Without an efficient statistics system for the profession it is hard to verify such claims,” he said.
“The regulations will go a long way in providing better accountability and quality of engineering services to our people. This will assist Government to estimate our engineering potential and capacity in view of the skills flight and brain drain affecting the country.”
In terms of the regulations, all specialist categories of engineers – be it in the mining, construction, information and communication technology or otherwise – fall under the requirement for registration.
The law seeks to register and monitor the operations of professional technicians, engineers, engineering firms and constituent bodies.
The regulations authorise the Engineering Council of Zimbabwe to publish the names of registered engineers and engineering firms in January of each year.
In addition, the council would in the month of June of each calendar year, publish the names of all engineers and engineering firms been deleted from the register in the previous year.