Association Honours

National Science and Technology Forum Awards

I am extremely proud to report that on 23rd May 2007, we as the Paraffin Safety Association won a National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Award for outstanding contribution to science, engineering and technology. The NSTF Awards panel of judges commented that “in the process towards improving the system of delivery and usage of paraffin in South Africa, the Safer System project (of Paraffin Safety Association) has contributed to the advancement of science, engineering and technology through its safe design competitions and other initiatives”. They went on to say that “simultaneously, the project has been able to progress the legislative development to secure these innovations through standardisation”.

Apart from the Award, we also won R20 000 worth of airtime and advertisements with TBM which advertises at all the airports of South Africa. TBM Communications is the media sponsor of the NSTF Awards event and this year pledged to provide airtime on their plasma screens for R20 000. They compiled an advertisement that is already screening at most of the airports, Virgin Gym clubs, some Golf Estates in Gauteng, as well as the AMEX businesses at shopping malls in SA.

As Teri Kruger (Former Senior Projects Manager: Safer Systems Project) and I proudly received the Award from Minister Mosibudi Mangena of the Department of Science and Technology, I could not help but think of millions of South Africans who daily face the possibility of explosions right inside their own homes. The recognition strengthened our resolve to continue working hard to establish a household energy safety system that meets the needs of paraffin consumers in terms of safety, affordability and accessibility.

As reported previously, our lobbying efforts and work with the South African Bureau of Standards, led the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mandisi Mpahlwa to effectively render all wick based appliances (under SANS 1906) in South Africa illegal with effect from January 2007. We are now working very hard to ensure that the pressure stoves (under SANS 1243) are also properly regulated and that all paraffin that is sold is pre-packaged and labeled.

The dti Awards for Consumer Champions 2005

Former Managing Director, Ms. Nazeema Ahmed accepting the Organisational Champion award on behalf of the Paraffin Safety Association in 2005.

The Department of Trade and Industry hosted the Awards for Consumer Champions in 2005 to recognize the outstanding achievements by individuals and organizations in championing consumer protection. The theme of these awards was ‘consumer approved’ – a definite endorsement by the dti of the vital role that consumers play in the advancement of our economy, and South African consumers were invited to express their consumer rights and display their collective clout by voting for their consumer champions.

There were four (4) categories namely:

The Paraffin Safety Association won the Organizational Champion Award. This special award was presented to our former Managing Director, Ms. Nazeema Ahmed at a glittering function in Gauteng.

Patrick Kulati
Managing Director
Paraffin Safety Association Southern Africa