Engineering council to carry out inspections

Acting Business Editor
THE thrust of the Engineering Council of Zimbabwe (ECZ) will this year be carrying out on site surveillance visits of engineers to verify their registration status, an official said yesterday.
ECZ is a regulatory body established through an Act of Parliament to ensure that practicing engineers and technicians in Zimbabwe are compliant with ethical standards of the profession.

Under the Engineering Council Act Chapter 27:22 and Statutory Instrument 161 of 2010, any person practicising engineering work or wishing to do the same in Zimbabwe is required to register with ECZ.

The registration is aimed at promoting ethical standards within the engineering profession.
Speaking by telephone ECZ chief executive officer Engineer Ben Rafemoyo said:

“Our first thrust as a council this year is to embark on site tours to check if they are registered with the regulatory body. The site visits will be done at the beginning of the year and we have posted that notice on our website.”

He said the countrywide site visits would be done simultaneously mainly in areas where engineering, mining and construction was dominant.

“We would want to do it (site visits) simultaneously in the region. We will also have to hire freelancers to assist us in carrying this programme especially in areas where we don’t have representatives,” said Eng Rafemoyo.

During the tours, engineers and technicians on site would among others be requested to produce their compliance certificates.
The Engineering Council Act empowers ECZ to institute disciplinary measures on members that operate outside the ethical standards of the engineering profession.

The disciplinary action ranges from fine, suspension and de-registration from ECZ.
In the past due to lack of ethical standards by some engineers and technicians, structures in certain projects have collapsed before their life span because of failure to follow the works’ designs.

The Engineering Council Act empowers ECZ to institute disciplinary action on members of the profession that flout ethical standards.
The disciplinary measures range from fine, suspension and deregistration from ECZ