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A positive aspect, however, was Governments

acceptance of the National Development Plan as a long
to medium term guiding light for integrated
development in South Africa.

CESA’s media profile as the Voice of Consulting sectors. At the time of writing, no response had
Engineering in South Africa was raised significantly been received to its request for funding and other
as a result of a decision to aggressively tackle options were pursued such as partnering with the
issues pertinent to the sector. This involved inter fledging Green Roads Council of South Africa and/
alia, tackling without fear or favour the subject of or the GBCSA to initiate the SACSI platform. More
corruption which was severely impacting our member importantly, the CESA Sustainability Framework
firms’ ability to do business, particularly at the level of was revisited and refreshed. This document was
local Government. As the year progressed, CESA’s primarily based on the Global Reporting Index (GRI)
opinion was increasingly sought by the media, but and was to be used as a basis for requiring member
more importantly, by the daily press, as well as the firms to embrace the concept of sustainability in its
radio and television stations. Our ability to increase broadest form as a condition of membership. This
CESA’s visibility was given a significant boost by the would complete the planned trilogy of requirements
appointment of a Strategic Communicator, Dennis for membership, the other two being adherence to a
Ndaba. Whilst on the subject of corruption, CESA Quality Management System (QMS) as well as to the
developed a war chest by levying an additional 10% Business Integrity Management System (BIMS).
on members’ subscriptions for the pursuit of errant
clients and members. CESA also partnered with a CESA also expressed concern during the year that
small firms appeared to be increasingly marginalised
firm of Forensic Auditors, Moore Stephens, as well
as NGO, Corruption Watch, which increased our in their ability to procure work from the larger public
sector client entities. As a consequence, a guideline
capacity and ability to act decisively. Moore Stephens
also provided a hotline for a trial period of 3 months, document entitled “The CESA Policy relating to
however, this proved to be a rather ineffective the developing and securing of participation of
instrument in the combatting of corrupt behavior small consulting engineering firms in the delivery
and lack of funding caused this relationship to be of infrastructure” was produced. This, of course,
reviewed. CESA continued to embrace the clarion was intended not to prejudice the larger firms in the
call – “CESA members, unquestionably ethical” and market place but rather to encourage partnerships,
were ready to deal with untoward behaviour from joint ventures and sub-consultancy arrangements
whatever quarter. with other smaller CESA member firms to build
capacity, knowledge and experience.
CESA’s Presidential Message for 2013 was
“Sustainability is Everyone’s Business” and on that Another item of significance was government’s
basis continued to serve and support the Green decision to align the sector BBBEE codes with that of
Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). In the Generic codes. The outcome and impact of these
addition, CESA initiated and partnered with the DBSA re-aligned codes was difficult to determine, especially
in the creation of what has become known as the in view of the fact that the generic codes themselves
South African Council for Sustainable Infrastructure had been significantly revised. The general feeling CESA Annual Review 2012 / 2013
(SACSI). An application was submitted to the was, however, that this would not be significantly
Government’s Green Fund for seed funding to initiate impactful. The newly formed Construction Sector
and set up the structures necessary to perform its Charter Council (CSCC) was now up and running
objectives which were determined at a workshop of and would interact with the dti on the said changes.
relevant stakeholders in both the public and private CESA made comment directly on the new legislation

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