Zitholele Consulting is an empowerment company formed to provide specialist consulting services primarily to the public sector in the fields of Water Engineering, Integrated Water Resource Management, Environmental and Waste Services, Communication (public participation and awareness creation) and Livelihoods and Economic Development. The company was established to promote new opportunities for and to increase the level of participation by historically disadvantaged individuals (HDIs) in the ownership, management and control of economic activities. Whereas Zitholele operates independently, it works in close association with its alliances and sub-consultants in projects which allow for the collaboration of specialist teams well suited to high level and technically complex projects. In this way, the company participates and benefits from the skills transfer and subsequent capacity building of Zitholele Consulting personnel taking place in the collaboration between its alliance partners.I joined Zitholele in January 2007 as an environmental scientist in the Environment and Communication Division of the company. My expertise centres on environmental and waste projects. I project manage and compile all related reports for EIAs, EMPs, BAs, SEAs, , Environmental Auditing, Environmental Economics, EMFs and Waste Management. Additionally I coordinate and am the main client liaison for several surface, ground water and aquatic monitoring projects. I have also managed and co-ordinated several multi-disciplined project teams consisting of a variety of specialists in the following spheres: wetland delineations, terrestrial and aquatic ecological assessments, traffic assessments, noise assessments, social impact assessments, heritage assessments, soil and agricultural potential / land capability assessments, GIS mapping and modelling and visual assessments. I am a certified Environmental Assessment Practitioner (Interim Certification Board for EAPs in South Africa).