Some of the projects the firm has more recently undertaken in its 87 year history: CADASTRAL SURVEYS Since the founding of the practice by the late HSK Simpson, in 1918, cadastral surveys have been undertaken extensively from Harrismith to Pongola and from Volksrust to Estcourt. ENGINEERING SURVEYS Numerous such surveys have been undertaken in Northern KwaZulu-Natal for Municipalities, Engineering Consultants and the Department of Transport. TRIBAL AUTHORITY SURVEYS During the past 8 years all the MSINGA and EMNAMBITHI traditional authority boundaries have been surveyed and, where necessary, HSK Simpson & Partners has facilitated negotiations between disputing Amakhosi. LAND USE IDENTIFICATION In 1999 HSK Simpson & Partners were involved with the identification of sites i.e. R293 townships for The Ingonyama Trust. STATE DOMESTIC FACILITY SURVEYS We have been extensively involved with the Survey Services Sub-Directorate: Inland Regional Office of Land Administration wing of the Department: Traditional and Local Government Affairs. Specifically, HSK Simpson & Partners has assisted this sub-directorate in the identification and survey of State Domestic Facilities and PTO’s within the Nqutu Regional Authority Area. MUNICIPAL VALUATIONS These have been carried out for the Local Municipalities of Glencoe since 1979, Dundee and Dannhauser since 1988 and more recently Hatting Spruit. These towns are therefore known to the firm “like the back of our hands”. HYDRO-CENSUS We designed and implemented a GIS and spatially related database for the identification and maintenance of Rudimentary Water Source information. This data capture project was undertaken in the three District Municipalities: Umzinyathi, Amajuba and Uthukela, for the uThukela Water Partnership. HSK Simpson & Partners’ key involvement in the project was to provide specialist GIS services in the form of data mapping and analysis, resulting in the identification of households that did not meet the RDP standards for water consumption. LABOUR TENANT VERIFICATION HSK Simpson & Partners –in association with Umhlaba Geomatics Inc., were contracted to collect and verify the Labour Tenant information for the applications lodged in terms of the Land Reform Act No 3/1996. This organisation was appointed by the both the Umzinyathi and Zululand District Municipal areas. HSK Simpson & Partners responsibility in the project was to oversee technical aspects of the project which included: the data capture of the field verification forms as well as with the spatial analysis of the data collected. A database was developed to manage and report on: committee, farm, and applicant data that was collated during the field verification process. LOCAL MUNICIPALITY LAND AUDITS We have, in association with Umhlaba Geomatics Inc., recently completed the Land Audits for the Msinga, Endumeni and Nquthu Local Municipalities. Significant aspects of the projects included: the accurate reconstruction of all cadastral beacons –using survey principles, conversion of survey data and construction of relevant attribute information for input into a tailored Land Information System, identification of land use within the local municipalities and the preparation of a digital property register of all parcels of land. These projects were undertaken in-lieu-of the preparation of a Valuation Roll i.t.o. the proposed Property Rates Bill.