Zimbabwe April 2006 |
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| Brain drain hits engineers, (Xinhua, 2006-04-08):-The Zimbabwe Institute of Engineers (ZIE) expressed concern on Friday at acute shortage of engineers leaving the country for greener pastures. ZIE vice president Winfield Vengesayi said Friday that engineers were going to South Africa where the salaries were competitive. "The situation is very very bad," he said. "We cannot match salaries that companies in South Africa pay. The economy has to improve." Vengesayi described 2005 as a difficult year as inflation wrecked the industry. Inflation, he said, forced builders to abandon properties midway as prices of materials escalated, and clients could not cope with increasing costs. They were forced to review their budgets every quarter instead of drawing annual ones for projects. Vengesayi said the institute-invited engineers from Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and South Africa to their annual conference in May in Victoria Falls. "This conference is meant to bring engineers together and breaking the barriers of contacts," he said." This will create opportunities for engineers to interact. The theme will be 'engineers without borders'," he said. The vice president hoped that the good agricultural season would turnaround the economy. | |
South African Migration Project (SAMP) - Queen's University - http://www.queensu.ca/samp |