Sites

Compounds (or ‘Kampong’) are a generic term for the clusters of small houses where farm labourers were housed. The term originates from the 19th century and carried over until recently. It normally has negative associations with the apartheid socio-economic segregation. More recently many of the ‘compounds’ have been renovated and become
more family orientated units. The ’compounds’ thus have an emotive and historical significance to the area. Eleven compounds were built in the proposed mining area by 1968. Of these eleven, only two ‘compounds’ still exists: CM6 and CM9. These compounds have been altered since 1968 and have probably been renovated in the 1980s - 1990s, to family units. Figure 9 shows CM9 Some of the compounds were directly associated with ‘huts’3 , although I refer to them as labourer’s houses. The compounds, in association with labourers’ houses, may have human remains. The main problem is that most of these compounds have been demolished, and are now covered with afforestation. There are thus no surface indications, with a few exceptions, of these compounds, and the existence of human remains would be even more difficult to observe. While the compounds are not protected by legislation in terms of built structures, they are historically significant, in terms of apartheid socio-economy. They should be recorded as part of the country’s recent history. CM8 still has several foundations even though they have been bulldozed. CM6 has not been bulldozed and original foundations may exist. CM6, CM11 and possibly CM12 occur on the 1937 aerial photographs, although these have been much modified (or destroyed) by 2010. Nonetheless, these older compounds would have left middens and structural features.