Achievements

Lifetime Achievement Award 2024

Prof. PD Rwelamila

Prof. PD Rwelamila has committed more than 40 years of his life to various aspects of the construction sector in South Africa primarily, and elsewhere in the world including parts of Africa.

He earned a PhD in Project Management and Procurement Systems at the University of Cape Town. He worked as a cost engineer for the Tanzanian Railways Corporation from 1980 after he had graduated. He has been an academic facilitator of learning at several universities that include the University of Zambia, University of Botswana, University of Cape Town and more recently the University of South Africa where he is Professor Emeritus and Professor Extraordinaire. He is also a visiting Professor at Leeds Beckitt University in the UK, Rhodes University in South Africa, Makere University, University of Botswana and the University of Florida (one of my alma maters).

As a scholar and expert in project management and procurement systems he has made significant contributions to the field through research, teaching and consultancy services. He has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers. He has organized more than 400 CPD courses and was the lead researcher for the project, Appropriate PPP approaches in Africa.

Shortly after South Africa became a democracy he played a major leading role in the development of the historic 1999 White Paper for the construction industry.

He served as the second President of the South African Council for Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) from 2006-2009. However, prior to that role he was involved in scoping and shaping the recognition of construction and construction project management as professions.

He has until very recently been the Co-ordinator of CIB W107: Construction in Developing Countries.

Lifetime Achievement Award 2024

Robert Dennis Hindle

Bob Hindle has literally committed most of his life – more than 60 years – to championing various causes that directly and indirectly impact the construction industry in this country. He has been labeled many things including ‘troublemaker’. However, more recently, he prefers being considered a Construction Activist towards Process Development. I regard him as one of the rare thinkers in our sector.

He progressed from ‘the tools’ as a craftsman to managing director of construction companies and therefore, has a unique and rare insight into the construction delivery process and challenges facing our industry. He earned a M. Sc in Construction Management at the University of Cape Town. He has been a facilitator of learning at the University of Cape Town, University of Bath in the UK, University of Stellenbosch, and the University of South Africa. Our second recipient has published around 100 publications in various forms from journal and conference papers to newspaper articles.

He is passionate about construction management and has delivered many thought-provoking addresses advocating for construction industry and management process development and improvement.

He was a member of the Interministerial Task team that led to the establishment of the Construction Industry Board (CIDB). As a member of similar focus groups, he contributed significantly to the development of the 1999 White paper for the construction industry in South Africa post- apartheid. He served as a founder member of the SACPCMP Construction Management Development Committee until quite recently.

He has been a member of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) for almost 50 years and has been involved with the CIB for many years.

Currently, he is focused on construction business and process development and methods of managing construction-related business in times of boom and bust. He is feverishly working on completing 3 books at the same time.

Lifetime achievement award 2017

Mrs Pugh – MD of FEM

The President and Council of the Association of Schools of Construction of Southern Africa (ASOCSA) nominate Mrs Pugh for the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Since joining FEMA in 1969, Thelma Pugh has spent the better part of 48 years promoting health and safety in the construction industry. From her humble beginnings as a Retention Fund Clerk, she worked her way up the organisation, which saw her become the CFO and later moved into her current position as MD, after the retirement of the late Cliff Saville. Thelma’s personal motto is that “Nobody, in our industry, should be dying for a job”. 

Lifetime achievement award 2016

Prof Gaye le Roux – Lifetime award for building industry

Professor Emeritus and former Head of the Department of Quantity Surveying at the then University of Port Elizabeth (now Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University), has spent a lifetime making her mark in what has been a predominantly male environment. 

When she took up her appointment as Head of Quantity Surveying at UPE in 1983, she became the first woman worldwide to head up a tertiary Built Environment Department.  

Leadership award 2017

Aubrey Tshalata (CEO Palcard Group; National President – National African Federation for the Building Industry) – Leadership award

The President and Council of the Association of Schools of Construction of Southern Africa (ASOCSA) has nominated Aubrey Tshalata to receive the ASOCSA Leadership Award to be presented during the Gala Dinner of the 11th Built Environment Conference at the Coastlands Hotel Musgrave in Durban on August 7, 2017.

This award is made to a person who has demonstrated consistent, ethical and exemplary leadership in the broader construction industry over a number of years. This decision was made to recognise the outstanding and fearless leadership role that he plays in the industry under precarious and difficult circumstances and the considerable contribution he makes to promote the industry with emphasis on transformation at multiple levels.

Leadership award 2016

Vikashnee Harbajan – Leadership award

Vikashnee Harbajan is the Executive Director of Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal, the leading voice in the KZN building industry. “She has held senior positions in both the public and private sector, has a Master’s degree in law and is an admitted Attorney and Conveyancer of the High Court of South Africa. 

She commenced her career at the University of Durban–Westville and Technikon Mangosuthu in the faculties of Law and served her articles with the Legal Aid Board. Ms Harbhajan also practiced as an attorney for her own account and served at the Free State Department of Education as Director: Legal Services and Labour Relations, before taking up a position with the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) as the Programme Director. 

Lifetime achievement award 2015

Executive Director: Pieter Rautenbach 

Pieter Rautenbach has served the South African Construction Industry for the last 50 years.

As Executive Director of the Master Builders Association KwaZulu Natal he has been at the helm of the oldest Master Builders Association for over 30 years.

Executive Directors of the Master Builders Associations (KwaZulu Natal not called the MBA) are the face of the organisations and also serve on the Master Builders South Africa (MBSA) Board of Directors. The MBSA formerly Building Industries Federation of South Africa (BIFSA) is the strongest and oldest Employer Organisation of Building Contractors in South Africa. Pieter Rautenbach has the distinction of having attended the most Board Meetings of BIFSA/MBSA ever. That is how long and dedicated his service to the Construction Industry has been.

Pieter Rautenbach was a leader in transforming the Master Builders Association KwaZulu Natal when he was the first Executive Director to fight for and achieve representation of all contractors irrespective of colour in the Master Builders Association KwaZulu Natal. 

Pieter has also served on many other boards amongst them being the Task Groups of the Construction Industry Development Programme the forerunner of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). ​

He still serves as a trustee of the Master Builders Association Pension Fund. At the age of 78 he has slowed down but is not out and if you visit the Master Builders Association in Westville often enough you may even find him there on his visits to the offices of the association in one of the capacity’s that he still carries. 

A truly long serving servant of the South African Construction Industry ASOCSA is proud to have awarded Pieter Rautenbach its 4th Live Time Achievement Award.

Lifetime achievement award 2012

Colin de Kock & Rob Johnson

Lifetime achievement award 2011

Dr Rodney Milford

Dr Rodney Milford, is the first recipient of the Association of Schools of Construction of South Africa’s (ASOCSA) award for excellence and commitment to the construction industry. 

Dr Milford is currently the programme manager for Construction Industry Performance at CIDB and was previously the director of CSIR Knowledge Services from 2005 to 2006, and the director of CSIR Building and Construction Technology (Boutek) from 2002 to 2005. 

Throughout his career in the industry Milford said his motivation boiled down to his passion for the work that he does and this has been the steam that has kept him working towards development and change in the industry. He has been involved in several national and industry policy initiatives and is the authored and co-authored many papers in local and international journals and conferences as well as co-authored one book and authored two book chapters.

Dr Milford explained that he is consistently trying to make a difference. “One has to keep working to see the difference further down the road,” said Milford. Professor Theo Haupt said that Dr. Milford is the first recipient of this award. “The award is only given to persons who have throughout their lives or careers contributed to the construction sector in South Africa and further afield.” He received the award at the Gala Dinner of ASOCSA at Balalaika Hotel in Sandton on 1 August 2011.