Self-claimed Engineers that are not registered with any institute should not be engaged in construction projects in a bid to avoid shoddy works, Engineering Institution of Zambia (EIZ) President Eng, Abel Ngandu has said.
Eng. Ngandu told The Scoop that currently the institute has 75,000 registered Engineers but there are so many people in the sector that are still unregistered with the institute.
He said that registering the Engineering profession is critical as it allows one to be under the umbrella of an institute and follow regulations that govern the sector.
“When people are not registered with the institute that is where, criminal and shoddy works are done in the sector. When people register, they subscribe to a code of conduct, that is why we appeal to the members of the public to always engage registered engineers and not go for those offering cheap services because they are not registered. Cheap is an expense,” Eng. Ngandu said.
He said that EIZ continued collaborating with others with the view to create sanity and ensure that constructions are under set regulations.
“EIZ just like any other institution follows the law of those practicing engineering without being registered. The institute would continue following up. Going forward we would consider publishing cases where people are found wanting and punished unlike the way it is where some people in the sector feel the institute is not doing much and they can do anything without following the laws and go unpunished,” he explained.
He emphasized that it is important that citizens do not engage unregistered to self-claimed engineers and help create sanity in the sector.
He affirmed the institute’s commitment towards pushing for proper Planning of housing units in the country.
He further said that it is commendable that the ministry of local government and rural development had been receptive towards ensuring that there is order in planning.
He said that Zambia should be more organized especially that institutions such as EIZ, the Zambia institute of architecture among other institutions mandated to promote sanity in the construction sector had been well established.