The practice of GMH/CPP Consulting Civil Engineers was established when G M Hattingh & Partners (GMH); originating from 1987 joined forces with Civil and Planning Partnership (CPP) which started business in 1980. The main focus of both these companies was Consulting Civil Engineering. GMH specialised in civil engineering infrastructure provision such as roads, stormwater, water and sewer reticulation for township and commercial developments as well as incorporating traffic engineering in their service to Central, Provincial, Local Government and numerous private developers. CPP on the other hand, specialised in the fields of Highway/Bridge and Structural Engineering and has undertaken numerous engineering projects in Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana, Tanzania and Mozambique. The combination of these two companies not only widened their specialised service offer to their respective clients but also opened up the Sub Saharan continent to the group.

Realising that more needed to be done with regards to skills transferring within the Civil Engineering environment and in particular in the new South Africa, their next challenge was to establish a sustainable Civil Engineering Consulting entity that would reflect the demographics of the country they serve. GMH/Tswelelo Consulting Civil Engineers was therefore born from a believe that sustainable development within the engineering environment of the Historically Deprived Individuals only will happen if serious effort towards skills transfer from the Non Deprived individuals could successfully be incorporated, monitored and managed. With that goal in mind, 25% of each Non deprived personnel member is "dedicated" to skills transfer within the engineering environment and is monitored and managed on a monthly basis.

GMH/CPP Consulting Engineers has two directors with the following allocation of shares:

GMH/Tswelelo Consulting Engineers also has two members with the following allocation of ownership:

GMH/CPP together with GMH/Tswelelo has undergone steady growth in recent years and now has 23 permanent personnel operating from four offices in three provinces within South Africa.

GMH/CPP is a member of the South African Association of Consulting Engineers and presently has three accredited Targeted Procurement Practitioners with NQF qualifications.

GMH/CPP has the professional capacity to undertake projects in the following fields:

• Commercial Development
• Structural Engineering
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Traffic & Transportation Engineering
• Township Services
• Labour Based Construction
• Urban & Rural Road Design
• Council Approvals
• Joint Ventures
• Project Management
• Landscape Architecture

As a member firm of the South African Association of Consulting Engineers (SAACE) we subscribe fully to the Affirmative Action viewpoint of this organisation.

As a practice, 30% of our employees are categorised as Previously Disadvantaged Individuals. Our recruitment policy is based on preference to persons from previously disadvantaged communities. As is generally accepted, this is easier said than done due to a shortage of suitable qualified engineers and technicians.

Our current policy, which augments the SAACE recommendations, is based on an active employee development system.

GMH/CPP Consulting Civil Engineers, as a dedicated member of the South African business community, has a responsibility of complying with BEE requirements. We are therefore seriously of the intention to achieve the guidelines as stipulated for 2009 and 2014. To this end we have developed a BEE policy, which is approved by the directors, in order to achieve particular set goals. It is our strategic intention to achieve the following by the said due dates:

As a Professional Civil Engineering consulting practice we accept our responsibility for social development. We have identified two primary areas in which our firm can be effective. These are:

• Focus on the provision of infrastructure and township services
• Planning of projects to maximise the job creation potential thereof, this specifically for the community in which this work is being carried out

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