Municipal engineers in Johannesburg and Pretoria before 1910
Abstract
This paper examines the history of the first town engineers in
Johannesburg and Pretoria by looking at the selection process that was
applied in their appointment; their responsibilities; and the circumstances
at the end of their tenures. It explores what was expected of municipal
engineers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; shows how
weak their position was within the municipal structure; and explains how
vague their job description was in relation to their wide field of operation.
It becomes clear that most early town engineers had no formal training
for the positions they held and that there was added pressure from elected
councillors in both municipalities who were prone to follow assiduously
how officials were spending public money