The South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) has set up a committee to further its transformation goals and a hotline to encourage the public to report any misconduct pertaining to the council’s scope of influence, following reports of malpractice, says SACPCMP president Tjiamogale Manchidi.

He notes that the built environment has to be regulated primarily because the safety of the South African public is of paramount importance.

The SACPCMP is one of six councils within the Councils for Built Environment Professions, which is a statutory body tasked to register, certify, regulate and promote the built environment management professions. It regulates the project and construction management professions to protect the public by identifying the type and scope of work, registering professionals and maintaining a national register of professionals who adhere to a code of conduct.

However, Manchidi points out that transformation of the profession’s demographics is crucial. “The statistics do not reflect the demographics of the country,” he says, adding that, like many entities in the country, the SACPCMP would also like to make transformation in construction and project management a priority.

Manchidi states that women and historically disadvantaged individuals should take priority, adding that the fourth-term council of the organisation is prioritising the empowerment of these groups.

He says transformation involves a concerted effort by the council, staff, registered persons and the private sector. Prerequisites “Forging partnerships and having a clearly defined roadmap are certainly prerequisites to a successful transformation strategy.”

However, focus areas such as transformation sometimes run up against obstacles that have to be addressed before the transformation machinery can be set in motion, he points out, highlighting that one of the major challenges in this regard is industry corruption.

He is concerned that, while the SACPCMP is aspiring to create equilibrium in an industry that is lagging in terms of transformation, these efforts are being thwarted by “unscrupulous individuals who are working against the culture within the SACPCMP”.

Manchidi states that, while the SACPCMP has taken decisive steps such as establishing a transformation committee and launching a presidential forum – where presidents of the voluntary associations of the SACPCMP are called upon to collaborate on transformation programmes for greater impact – individuals within and outside the organisation are collaborating to further their own personal interests with “scant regard for the safety of the South African public” and promoting unethical practices in industry.

In this regard, some employees of the SACPCMP were placed on precautionary suspension as a result of the findings of a forensic audit in the process of being conducted by forensic audit firm Moore Stephens Forensic Services. Thus far, the auditors have found irregularities in the registration system.

“Any unethical practices go against the SACPCMP grain. Consequently, the safety of the public is being compromised and this goes against national imperatives. “A concerted plan of action is being rolled out to ensure that these individuals are brought to book,” he says.

To report misconduct, contact hotline@sacpcmo.org.za.