A South African civil engineering boss has been sacked after claiming that women prefer family and raising children to working in business.

Manglin Pillay, head of Saice, said that few women take up scientific professions because they are 'more predisposed for caring', during his column in July's edition of the company's in-house magazine Civil Engineering.

Although he later apologised for his remarks the company said they said terminated his contract due to concern from Saice's magazines readers, of which just 5% are women.

Mr Pillay's was largely based around a discussion on why more men than women begin careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Manglin Pillay, head of Saice, who said that few women take up scientific professions because they are 'more predisposed for caring' has been sacked

He added that more men seek high-profile executive posts because of their 'appetite for work load and extreme performance requirements at that level.'

The former head of the company believed that 'type-A personalities who are disagreeable at times, and highly competitive - workaholics, with almost no family, social or hobby time.

According to Mr Pillay 'The reason why women do not occupy these positions is that women choose to rather have the flexibility to dedicate themselves to more important enterprises, like family and raising children, than to be at the beck and call of shareholders'.

Since his departure founder of WomEng, Hema Vallabh, has said that this sends a message that discrimination will no longer be tolerated

His departure has been welcomed by South Africa's Commission for Gender Equality, saying that it would help the fight against sexism.

He was also slammed by South Africa's Science Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, who argued that the lack of support for women was the problem and not the attitudes, Fin24 reported.

Mr Pillay issued an apology for 'antagonising and offending so many people, in August however this has not been enough to settle the controversy.

Saice President Errol Kerst said that the response had been so large that the 'ramifications of the article' could not be ignored.

Since his departure founder of WomEng, Hema Vallabh, has said that this sends a message that discrimination will no longer be tolerated.