Heritage Cases

As part of environmental authorisation, a Phase 1 Heritage Impact Assessment was undertaken by Archaeology Africa Cc who had been appointed by Africon (Pty) Ltd. Ten archaeological sites were located within the proposed project. These were: three Late Iron Age settlements (Sites P3- 1, P3-2 and P3-5), two possible graves (Sites P3-3 and P3-4), one historic road (Site P3-6), one historic wall (Site P3-7), and three Late Iron Age or Historic sites (Site P3-8, P3-9 and P2-1). Of these ten sites, four were identified to be along the route of the proposed pipeline. The four archaeological sites in question are, namely, Late Iron Age stonewalled site on the farm Zwartkoppies 364 JR (P3-1), Late Iron Age stonewalled site on the farm Zwartkoppies 364 JR (P3-2), Historic stonewall on the farm Zwartkoppies 364 JR (P3-7), and Late Iron Age stonewalled site on the farm Zwartkoppies 364 JR (P3-10). As part of mitigation efforts, Mr Polka Birkholtz of PGS Heritage and Grave Relocation Consultants was granted archaeological permits for the destruction of these four sites (P3-1, P3-2, P3-7, and P3-10), all located on the farm Zwartkoppies 364 JR, east of Pretoria, Gauteng Province. As the responsible heritage authority, the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) duly approved these permits and they were given on 05 May 2016 (Ref. no.: 9-2-228-0001). These archaeological permits were valid from 01/05/2016 to 30/04/2017. Following delays with the procurement processes, the project could not go ahead as planned. However, these have now been addressed. Nsovo has since appointed Vhubvo Consultancy Cc as the heritage specialists for the pipeline project. It is thus requested that the four archaeological permits be renewed for another year, and the permit holder be changed from Mr Mr Polke Birkholtz of PGS Heritage and Grave Relocation Consultants to Mr Munyadziwa Magoma of Vhubvo Consultancy Cc.