Heritage Cases

PGS Heritage has been appointed to relocate approximately 10 graves in 3 locations from the land directly south of the Brits Mall. Our company has been appointed by Resilient Properties (Pty) Ltd, to effect the relocation of approximately 10 graves located on portion 263 of the farm Krokodildrift 446-JQ, in Brits. The graves will be adversely affected by the proposed expansion of the Brits Mall. The public consultation process, to identify next of kin for the graves, commenced June 2015 with the environmental consultants, Calcuplan, meeting with the next-of-kin of one of the graves (BT-01). PGS Heritage was appointed at the end of 2015 and started the broad social consultation process. LOCATION OF GRAVES The graves are situated on the farm Krokodildrift 446-JQ and are located approximately 100m south of the existing Brits Mall, at the following coordinates: • BT1: -25.652204°, 27.800456° • BT2: -25.652630°, 27.799058° • BT 3: -25.652671°, 27.800358° PROJECT INFORMATION All six graves will be adversely impacted upon by the proposed expansion of the Brits Mall. We have conducted an intensive process of social consultation in order to identify the buried individuals and to obtain permission for exhumation and re-interment from the affected families, communities and other bona fide interested and affected parties. This intensive process commenced on, 14 December 2015 with the erection of bilingual (English and Setswana) site notices at the graves. Bilingual (English and Setswana) newspaper notices were also published in the Brits Pos on Friday, 15 January 2016 and in the Daily Sun on Friday, 15 January 2016. 4.1. Details of reach graves site BT_1: Definite single grave in the location of the ruins of the old farm workers quarters. The grave is that of Mrs. Mietha Meyer the great-grandmother of Mrs. Irene Daniels. Irene Meyer first made contact with the Mall management in early 2015 when she requested permission to visit the grave of her grandmother. The Meyer Family was met with continuously throughout the process and was very forthcoming with information about knowledge of graves on the farm and leads for where to find more information. The Meyer family have signed consent to have their grave relocated to Damonsville Cemetery. BT_2: Possible graves in the location of the disturbed headstones. It is unknown how many graves are located in this area as the headstones have been disturbed from their original location. It is alleged to be as many as 5 graves. Mrs. Daniels was a young girl at a time when the graves in this location were still intact and remembers them being just next to the path that was alongside the water canal on the southern edge of the property. This is not too far off from where the broken headstones are located today. The Meyer family refers to these graves as the “White graves” BT_3: This area lies directly south of BT_01 by approx. 50 m. This site was pointed out by Mrs. Daniels as the Xhosa graves. On further investigation, an archaeologist as grinding stone was found which is consistent was traditional graves. Test excavations for possible graves will be conducted in the area and should any remains be recovered they will be appropriately handled, placed in a coffin and relocated to the closest municipal cemetery.