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Background and Introduction to EPABy 1978, the forthcoming independence of South West Africa / Namibia from the South African colonial regime became a strong prospect. With a view to the regulation of the engineering profession in accordance with the laws of an independent Namibia, engineers established EPA to ensure both a continuing high degree of professional competence in the engineering profession and the protection of the interests of the public. Towards this end, EPA was instrumental in the promulgation of the Engineering Profession Act, 1986 (Act 18 of 1986). After Independence, the Act was subsequently amended by the Engineering Profession Amendment Act, 1991 (Act 25 of 1991). The Act, as amended, provides for the Engineering Council of Namibia to register members of the engineering profession in the categories of professional engineer, engineer in training, incorporated engineer, incorporated engineer in training, engineering technician and engineering technician in training, in the various engineering disciplines. EPA is governed by a constitution providing for corporate members with voting rights and non-corporate members without voting rights – the latter encompassing associates, retired members and students. Any engineer, incorporated engineer or engineering technician who is registered with the Engineering Council of Namibia is eligible for corporate membership. The grade of associate member exists for foreign members, graduate members and persons closely involved with the engineering profession who do not qualify for corporate membership. The constitution of the EPA allows it to be organised, depending on members’ demand, into four divisions: one each for civil, electrical and mechanical engineers, and one for Incorporated Engineers and Technicians. Each division may have its own committee and serve the more specific interests of members of each division. A council is elected annually by the corporate members of EPA. Office bearers normally serve for two years to ensure a strong continuity. The council comprises: The filling of posts representing the various divisions on the council would be dependent on the establishment of such divisions; however, none have been established at present. After election, the newly elected EPA council takes office after the incumbent council has been relieved of office at an annual general meeting, which is held towards the end of each calendar year. Council meetings are normally scheduled monthly. Office bearers of the 33rd EPA Council, 2009/10President: Dipl-Ing Ako Al-Jaf Pr. Eng. Ako has over 23 years of professional experience in infrastructure planning, construction and maintenance in the roads, water and sewerage sector, in Germany, Algeria and Namibia, which he has chosen as his new home. He has been engaged in the Road Sector Reform Program in Namibia, and has taken a leading role in the successful implementation of the Roads Contractor Company. He is the project coordinator for the road sector capacity building programme of InWEnt in Namibia, and the Manager of the Roads Technical Training Unit of the Roads Authority since its establishment in 2007.
Vice-President: Mr Günter Leicher I. Eng. Since 1994, Günter Leicher, who holds a B.Tech (Engineering) degree of the University of South Africa, has been involved in civil design and construction work site supervision, labour-based road works, the documentation of proposals and the drafting of plans as well as detailed surveying on projects throughout Namibia. Although he specialises in transportation and water projects, Günter has also worked on factories, industrial parks, shopping centres, warehouses, hotels, sports facilities and township development. In December 2008 he joined the international Knight Piésold Group as the regional manager of Namibia. Based in Windhoek, he is also responsible for a satellite office in Ondangwa.
Past President: Jan Abram Cilliers Pr. Eng.
Honorary Treasurer: Mrs Sophia Tekie Pr. Eng.
Civil Discipline: Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Helmich Pr. Eng.
Andreas Helmich is a qualified Civil Engineer and Project Manager with 12 years experience in road construction, contract administration, and project management. He obtained his Dipl.-Ing. (Civil) degree at the University of Hannover, Germany, in 1997, and also holds an MSc (Project Management) degree from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Andreas started his career as Contract Manager at a construction company in Germany, and became Project Engineer for the Roads Authority in 1999, where he implemented numerous projects throughout the entire country. In January 2008, he started his own consulting company, HPM, based in Windhoek, with its main field of expertise in the design and construction of roads, as well as project management. Mechanical Discipline: Mr Frederick Muketi Pr. Eng.
Co-opted Member: Mr Rianus Gonteb Pr. Eng.
Co-opted Member: Mr Tinashe Kadandara Pr. Eng.EPA Administrator: Ms Tanja Bednarek
Past EPA Councils
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Copyright © 2007
Engineering Professions Association of Namibia
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Braam
is a qualified Civil Engineer with 16 years experience in road design,
construction, project administration, and asset management. He started his
career with Spoornet in the Western Cape, and thereafter the construction unit
of the Free State Provincial Government, whereafter he returned to Namibia in
1997, consulting in his field of expertise of geometric, road drainage and
pavement design. He holds a B. Com. (Law) degree with Business Accounting and
Contract Law, and a Master’s degree in Transportation and Pavement Engineering,
and is registered as a Professional Engineer with the Engineering Council of
South Africa (1995) and the Engineering Council of Namibia (2002).
Sophia
is originally from Ethiopia, but now a Namibian citizen. As a graduate of Addis
Ababa University, she joined the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication
as an assistant Engineer in 1990. After partaking in the Ministry's road sector
reform from 1995 to 2000, she joined the Roads Authority at its establishment in
2000 as the Manager of the Road Management System. In this position, which she
has held since then, Sophia has been part of the team who developed a
state-of-the-art Road Management System for Namibia, which has "put Namibia on
the map". Sophia served on the EPA Council since 2000, starting as Civil
Discipline Representative, and as President from 2003 to 2006. Her hobbies
include music, reading and watching movies.
Frederick
Muketi is a qualified Mechanical Engineer with 30 years' experience in the heavy
industry (cement) in Kenya, UK, Germany, USA and Namibia, specializing in
maintenance procedures, computerized maintenance management, business process
reengineering, plant reliability, root cause failure analyses, and capital
projects management. In 1980, he graduated with an Honours Degree in Mechanical
Engineering at the University of Nairobi, and at the same university obtained an
MBA Degree in Operations Management in 2009. After nine years in private
engineering consultancy practice, he joined the Ministry of Works and Transport,
where he currently holds the position of Chief Engineer: Mechanical Services,
charged with the capital projects management portfolio.
Rianus
is a qualified Civil Engineer with 9 years diverse experience in road design,
construction, contract administration, project management and supervision. He
has gained a wide range of experience in the field of road engineering that
includes detailed geometric and drainage design, design reviews, preparation of
tender and contract documentation. His career started with the Roads Authority
of Namibia in 2002; thereafter he assumed duty for the Roads Contractor Company
in 2006 as Contracts Engineer. He returned to the Roads Authority of Namibia in
2007 to take up the responsibilities as Windhoek Regional Engineer, thus being
in charge of the road maintenance of more than 25% of the Namibian National Road
Network. Rianus obtained his BSc Eng (Civil) degree at the University of
Witwatersrand in 2001. He is a registered Professional Engineer with the
Engineering Council of Namibia (2005) and also holds a MEng Degree in Project
Management from the University of Pretoria (2008). 
Tanja
has several diplomas in business management, sales and marketing management and
real estate and has worked in the corporate sector since returning from a 3 year
stint in Germany in 1996. She has extensive knowledge in the marketing and
financial field and runs the office of the Namibia Institute of Architects in
the mornings. On a consulting basis she runs the offices for GWATIN (The Guild
of Woodwork and Allied Trades) and Jassona (The Jewellers Association of
Namibia). To fill her afternoons, she has taken over the offices of the EPA with
effect 1 July 2010 from her home office and plays mom’s taxi to her daughter.