INXUBA YETHEMBA RURAL SETTLEMENT DESCRIPTIONS

CONTENTS 1 Schoombee ...... 2 2 ...... 4 3 Conway ...... 7 4 Visrivier ...... 9 5 Baroda ...... 11 6 Marlow ...... 13 7 Halesowen ...... 15 8 Mortimer ...... 17 9 Drennan ...... 19

1 SCHOOMBEE Schoombee (located on the R56, ±45.5km east of Middelburg)

It comprises of: farm worker dwellings/housing; a hostel facility together with the Schoombee Primary School and sports field; a country club; abandoned / dilapidated / vacant railway housing; a disused police station; a disused church; a dilapidated and disused railway station, sidings, sheds.

Farm worker dwellings/housing in Schoombee have access to water and toilets (both of which are found outside the dwelling) as well as electricity.

Approximately 50 people live in Schoombee. The younger children attend the primary school, whereas the older children have to travel (via public transport, i.e. bus or taxi) to attend high schools in , Middelburg or . All adults work on the farms.

There are no banks or shops in Schoombee. The residents of Schoombee must either hitchhike or use public transport to Middelburg or Steynsburg to access/use All Pay, banks, clinics, post offices, shops, etc. There is, however, a mobile clinic that stops in Schoombee once a month. The train no longer passes through Schoombee station, which is now in a dilapidated state.

Access to Schoombee (which is just off the R56) is via a good, gravel road.

Farm worker housing

Dilapidated and disused railway station

Access to Schoombee (from the R56)

Schoombee hostel

Disused Schoombee railway station building

Disused rail and sidings

Schoombee Primary School

Disused church

2 ROSMEAD Rosmead (located ±0.75km south of the R56 and is ±10.5km east of Middelburg)

Rosmead is divided into two settlements by the fully functional and operational cargo and passenger railway.

An eastern settlement comprising of: railway housing; a temporary camp ground; a butchery; a hotel (which is open only ‘in season’); a primary school; a sports field; a shop; a disused post office; a disused petrol pump/station; a disused church; a disused army camp.

A western settlement comprising of: settlement dwellings/housing; a primary school; a community projects facility; a community hall; a community care centre.

With the exception of the ‘historic’ settlement dwelling/housing units immediately to the east of the railway station as well as the temporary camp ground, Rosmead’s dwelling/housing units have access to water (i.e. an outside tap serving several houses), have to make use of the bucket toilet system and have no access to electricity.

Approximately 300 people live in Rosmead with the majority working on the surrounding farms or at the train station. The temporary camp ground houses those working on the nearby and surrounding national and regional road upgrades. The younger children attend either of the two primary schools, whilst the older children have to travel (via public transport) to high schools in Middelburg.

Rosmead has a butchery and a shop (which serves the town and its nearby surroundings) as well as a hotel (which opens seasonally). There are no banks, clinics or post offices and to access All Pay, residents must hitchhike, use public transport or walk to Middelburg. There is a mobile clinic which stops in Rosmead once a week on Thursdays. The train station is fully functional and operational and serves both cargo and passenger entities. Rosmead is accessed from the R56 via a ±0.75km tar road.

Rosmead railway station

Rosmead railway housing

Rosmead (western settlement) housing

Access to Rosmead eastern settlement (from the R56) Rosmead hotel

Rosmead railway station

Sports field (with a primary school in the background)

Rosmead butchery and shop

Temporary camp ground (for road construction workers)

Rosmead Primary School

Rosmead community project facility & community hall

Rosmead community care centre

3 CONWAY Conway (located ±5.75km east of the and is ±38.5km south of Middelburg and ±57km north of Cradock)

Conway comprises of: farm worker dwellings/housing; two primary schools; a sports field; a church; a disused railway station.

Farm worker dwellings/housing in Conway have access to water (i.e. in the form of an outside tap) and electricity (which is supplied by the farmer) however, they have to use buckets as the toilet system.

There are approximately 20 people living in Conway, most of which are adults. All adults work on the farms whereas the children attend either one of the two schools.

Conway has no banks or shops. The residents walk to the main road (i.e. N10) and from there, hitchhike to Middelburg to get to services (i.e. All Pay, banks, clinics, shops, etc.). However, a mobile clinic does stop off in Conway once a month. Though there are trains which pass through Conway, it no longer stops at Conway’s station, resulting in the station’s neglected state.

Access to Conway is along a good, gravel road from the N10.

Disused Conway railway station building

Access to Conway (from the N10)

Conway Primary School

School grounds and sports field

Church

4 VISRIVIER Visrivier (located next to the N10, ±35km north of Cradock and ±60km south of Middelburg) It comprises of: farm worker dwelling/housing units; squatters; accommodation facilities (i.e. a guest house); two churches; a post office; a primary school; a country club; a disused combined school; a disused petrol pump; a dilapidated and disused railway station.

Visrivier dwelling/housing units: obtain their water from an outside tap serving several households; don’t have electricity; and have to make use of the bucket toilet system. The squatters don’t have access to any of these services.

The exact number of people residing in Visrivier is difficult to determine due to the area Visrivier covers, but there are approximately 20 people working per farm. There are also a number squatters (housing approximately five people per camp) along the road (leading to the primary school). Most of the working population work on the farms whilst the remainder ‘stay- at-home’. With the Fish River Combined School deserted, children attend either the Visrivier Primary School or one of the high schools in Cradock.

Visrivier has a guest house and a post office which is open weekdays. A mobile clinic serves the community of Visrivier every Tuesday and Thursday. All Pay, banks and shops are not located in Visrivier. To access the previously mentioned, community residents either hitchhike or use public transport to Cradock/ trains pass through Visrivier regularly, but the train station itself (which is now dilapidated) is no longer of use.

Access to Visrivier is gained via a good, gravel road just off the N10.

Farm worker housing

Farm worker housing

Access to Visrivier (from the N10)

Visrivier Primary School

Disused Visrivier railway station building

Fish River Combined School (disused)

Visrivier post office and guest house

Squatters

5 BARODA Baroda (located ±2km east of the N10 and is ±21.5km north of Cradock and ±74km south of Middelburg)

It comprises of: farm worker dwelling/housing units; a hostel; a primary school; a clinic facility; a disused shop; a disused petrol pump; a disused railway station.

Farm worker dwellings/housing in Baroda have access to an outside tap which supplies water to several surrounding households. Some dwellings/housing have access to access to outside toilets, but still have to use buckets, whereas most dwellings/housing use the natural environment (i.e. bush) Baroda dwellings/housing do have electricity though.

As it was found with Visrivier, the exact number of people residing in Baroda is difficult to determine. However, it was found that (per farm) there are approximately eight to ten workers. Children attend either the primary school (i.e. Baroda Primary School) or high schools in Cradock.

With the exception of the Baroda Primary School and the Baroda clinic facility (which is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday), there are no facilities/ services (i.e. All Pay, banks, shops, etc.) within Baroda. Community residents must either hitchhike or use taxis to Cradock to get to these facilities/services. There are trains which pass through Baroda; however, the station is no longer used resulting in its neglected state

Access to Baroda is along a good, gravel road from the N10.

Farm worker housing

Railway housing

Access to Baroda (from the N10)

Baroda hostel

Baroda Primary School

Disused shop

Baroda Clinic

Disused Baroda railway station

6 MARLOW Marlow (located off the MR652, ±7.25k north, north west of Cradock)

It comprises of:

25 recently built face-brick houses; a church; a disused primary school; a dilapidated and disused railway station.

Each of these face-brick houses has water (hot and cold from taps within the house) and sewer facilities (inside flush toilets) as well as electricity.

Of the 25 face-brick houses, four or five of these are vacant, with approximately 50 people living/occupying/residing in the other houses. The adults either work on the farms, the school (Marlow High School) or in Cradock. The children attend high schools in either Cradock or Marlow, whereas all the primary schools are in Cradock.

All Pay, banks, clinics, shops, etc. are not in Marlow. These facilities/services are all in Cradock therefore, to access these facilities, Marlow residents hitchhike, use public transport (i.e. busses or taxis) or walk. Trains pass through Marlow daily, but the train station (now in a dilapidated state) is no longer used.

Marlow is accessed from the MR652 (an 8km tar road from Cradock). Face-brick housing

Face-brick housing

Access to Marlow (from the R652)

Disused primary school

Dilapidated and disused railway station

7 HALESOWEN Halesowen (located along the R390, ±10.5km south, south east of Cradock)

It comprises of: three railway houses; a primary school; a disused railway station.

The railway houses of Halesowen have no access to water or sewer/toilet facilities or electricity. They rely solely on the surrounding farmers to supply them with tank water monthly.

With the exception of the Halesowen and Mortimer Meth Primary School, there are no facilities/services in Halesowen. Community residents must either hitchhike or walk to Cradock to get to facilities/services such as All Pay, banks, clinics, shops, etc. The previously used Halesowen station now stands idle… neglected and partially dilapidated.

Halesowen is accessed from the R390.

Railway housing

Farm worker housing

Access to Halesowen (along the R652)

Halesowen and Mortimer Meth Primary School

Disused Halesowen railway station building

8 MORTIMER Mortimer (located along the R390, ±23km south, south east of Cradock)

It comprises of: railway housing; farm worker dwellings/housing; churches; agri-cooperative/wool & mohair reception depot; a shop; a disused - post office, police station, petrol pump, schools, hotel; a dilapidated and disused railway station.

Dwelling/Housing units in Mortimer: have access to water (i.e. in the form of a water pump) which provides water for several units; have no access to toilets (i.e. flush or bucket system); have access to electricity which is provided by the farmer.

The exact number of people residing in Mortimer could not and was not determined. Approximately ten people/workers are required per farm, whilst some work at the agri- cooperative/wool and mohair reception depot. The abandonment of Mortimer’s three schools means children attend schools in either Halesowen (i.e. primary school) or Cradock (i.e. primary and high schools).

Although Mortimer has a few facilities/services, most of which are no longer used (i.e. schools, post office, police station, petrol pump/station, hotel) whereas Mortimer’s shop provides only the bare essentials/necessities. There are no All Pay or bank facilities for residents, who have to hitchhike or use public transport to Cradock to find/use these facilities/services. There is no clinic in Mortimer; however, a mobile clinic visits once a week. There are trains that pass through Mortimer; however, the station is no longer used resulting in its neglected state.

Access to Mortimer is along the good, gravel road of the R390 or along a good, gravel road from the N10.

Farm worker housing

Railway housing

Access to Mortimer (along the R390)

Mortimer agri-cooperative, wool and mohair reception depot, shop and disused post office

Railway housing

Disused hotel

Disused Mortimer police station

Dilapidated and disused Mortimer railway station and rail sidings

9 DRENNAN Drennan (located ±32km south, south east of Cradock)

It comprises of: a church; two railway houses; ten farm worker dwellings/housing (eight of which are abandoned/vacant); a dilapidated and disused railway station.

Drennan has one powered water pump which provides water to all the households/residents. Each dwelling unit makes use of the bucket toilet system. Of the 12 dwelling units, only the two railway houses have access to electricity.

There are approximately 20 people living and residing in Drennan, of which most are adults. Those adults that work do so on the surrounding farms. The children attend schools in Cradock by way of a school bus which picks them up and drops them off.

There are no facilities/services in Drennan. Community residents must hitchhike to Cradock to get to All Pay, bank, clinic and shop facilities/services. A mobile clinic stops in Drennan once every four months (i.e. three times annually). Drennan station stands abandoned and dilapidated.

Drennan is accessed along a good gravel road, either from the R390 of the N10.

Farm worker housing

Access to Drennan Abandoned/Vacant farm worker housing

Railway housing

Church

Dilapidated and disused Drennan railway station building