It is rather puzzling that a consultant in charge of risk assessment for the multibillion-rand Karpowership project has ignored repeated requests to see a copy of his BSc chemistry degree.
Doctors, lawyers and other professionals display their university degrees with pride in reception areas and offices, largely to reassure patients and clients that they are qualified to perform specialist tasks.
Framed certificates of accreditation and training courses are also on display in vehicle dealerships and mechanical repair workshops for similar reasons.
So what reasons might there be for concealing or declining to produce proof of your hard-earned professional qualifications for all to see?
This is why it is rather puzzling that Cape Town hazardous risk consultant Terence Thackwray — who helped to authorise the fire and explosion risk assessment studies for the multibillion-rand Karpowership gas-to-electricity plans — has ignored repeated requests from Our Burning Planet to see a copy of his BSc chemistry degree.
Terence Thackwray and his father, Claude, worked together on three recently revised risk assessment reports as part of the 20-year Turkish “emergency power” plan for Eskom.
The reports, by Major Hazard Risk Consultants CC, have been submitted to the government as part of the long, drawn-out environmental impact assessment (EIA) process.
The assessments were conducted by Claude Thackwray, who is listed as the technical signatory, and then checked and approved by his son Terence, who also signed a separate declaration under oath at Melkbosstrand Police Station on 22 October 2022 describing himself as the independent specialist for the risk assessment project.
In this sworn declaration, Terence listed his academic qualification as “BSc Environmental Management (Chemistry)”.
This was the declaration that drew the attention of Our Burning Planet, because in a previous bundle of documents submitted to the government in February 2021, Terence’s curriculum vitae recorded that his chemistry degree was only “partially completed”.
To clarify whether Terence had been awarded the degree, we sent messages last year to the Thackwrays and to Karpowership environmental assessment practitioner Aletta “Hantie” Plomp. In her written response, Plomp stated that Terence had completed the degree in 2019.
We thanked Plomp for this clarity, but subsequently requested her or Terence to kindly send proof: a copy of the degree certificate showing his name, tertiary institution, degree description and the date it was awarded.
Complete silence
Oddly, there has been complete silence from the Thackwrays and Plomp, following our request on 18 January.
What could be the reason for this?
Conceivably, Terence may have been insulted by ...