UPFRONT
Of growth in all spheres
The last two months have brought global surprises of every shape and size: the successful birth in Dubai of the first cloned camel, the expulsion of famour racing car driver Lewis Hamilton from the 2009 Australian Grand Prix and the menacing outbreak of Swine fever in Mexico.
In South Africa, the dramatic changes and growth that we have experienced have been a bit more expected. After worries of ballot-fixing and inter-party violence, Jacob Zuma has been voted in as our fourth democratically elected President. Despite a personal history showered with policital fiascos, Zuma gave a moving and very positive speech at his inauguration in Pretoria on 9 May 2009:
"We share a common conviction that never shall we return to a time of division and strife. From this common purpose, we must forge a partnership for reconstruction, development and progress."
Similarly, the last two months have played witness to dramatic restructuring and new partnerships forged in our TAPPSA Journal. The Journal's editorial organization and general appearance has undergone a tremendous facelift, as we welcome new designer Nicholas Symes to our team. We hope that the new layout will make for easier and more attractive reading.
Over the next few months, we also hope to introduce a number of permanent writers from the various facets of South Africa's pulp and paper industry. We begin with the first edition of a soon-to-be regular column from Iain Kerr, a well-known face within the industry and Pamsa's educational guru.
We warmly welcome any interested contributors to send us your thoughts on the industry, of a technical nature or otherwise, as well as your comments on the new layout of the Journal.
Meanwhile, this issue holds many exciting advances in the pulp and paper industry. This is particularly showcased in our cover story on Andritz' contribution to Sappi Saiccor's expansion project, Amakhulu. The US$500 million project grew not only the capacity of the biggest chemical cellulose mill in the world, but also developed the skills and strength of the employees and surrounding communities. We made the decision to delay the publication of our May issue in order to facilitate the inclusion of this exciting article, and I hope you find it well worth the read.
Until next issue, happy reading!
Jodie Davies-Coleman
