HWC CASE: 20111710SB1118E HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF THE PROPOSED ESKOM CERES TO WITZENBERG 132kV OVERHEAD POWERLINE HWC CASE: 20111710SB1118E DEFF CASE: not allocated yet (Assessment conducted under Section 38 (8) of the National Heritage Resources Act (No. 25 of 1999) as part of a NEMA Basic Assessment process) Prepared for SRK Consulting (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd On behalf of Eskom Holdings SOC Limited February 2021 Prepared by David Halkett ACO Associates cc Physical: Unit D17, Prime Park, 21 Mocke Rd, Diep River Postal: 8 Jacobs Ladder St James, 7945 [email protected] Tel: 021 7064104 Cell: 0731418606 Fax to e-mail: 086 603 7195 INTEGRATED EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (HWC CASE: 20111710SB1118E) The Integrated Executive Summary conforms to the specific requirements of Heritage Western Cape. SITE NAME: Proposed Eskom Ceres to Witzenberg 132kv Overhead Powerline LOCATION: Logical centrepoint: S33.294864° E19.296151° The regional location of the site is off R303 near the towns of Ceres and Prince Alfred Hamlet in the Witzenberg Municipality. Figure: Location of the project in regional context (Powerline - Red line) Table: Proposed powerline crosses the following parcels of land REGISTERED OWNER AND NO ADDRESS CONTACT PERSON PROPERTY Hennie Taljaard (Town Planner) WITZENBERG MUNICIPALITY Po Box 44 [email protected] Erf 1002 Ceres Erf 5137 6835 Raymond Haywood (Supervisor) 1 Erf 1 (PA Hamlet) Anita Grobelaar (Secretary) Farm 2/323 Voortrek Street 53 Farm 1/316 Ceres Johan Swanepoel (Manager) Farm 3/316 (Witzenberg s/s site) 6835 [email protected] CRISPY FARMING PTY LTD Erf 1884 Geysbertus Christiaan Du Toit (Director) Erf 4963 Posbus 236 [email protected] Erf 207 (PA Hamlet) Ceres 2 6835 Johannes Engelbrecht (Financial Director) Du Toit Agri PTY LTD [email protected] Farm 1/323 Farm 316 2 REGISTERED OWNER AND NO ADDRESS CONTACT PERSON PROPERTY Fanie Van der Merwe (Dir) BOPLAAS 1743 LANDGOED PTY P O Box 5 [email protected] 3 LTD Koue-Bokkeveld Erf 5018 6836 Carl Van der Merwe (Dir) [email protected] P O Box 174 BERGVLIET FARMS PTY LTD David Wesson 4 Ceres Erf 8027 [email protected] 6835 MANUPONT 173 PTY LTD P O Box 82 Andries Deetlefs (Dir) 5 Farm 35/371 (existing) Ceres [email protected] 6835 PC MALHERBE TRUST Posbus 51 Connie Malherbe Farm 371 6 Ceres [email protected] Farm 1/375 6835 [email protected] Re/376 P O Box 106 CERES CASCADE FARMS PTY LTD Petrus Wolfaardt (Dir) 7 Prince Alfred Hamlet Farm 375 [email protected] 6840 John Roux P O Box 714 [email protected] ROUX FAMILY TRUST 8 Ceres Farm 2/375 6835 RJ Roux (Managing Director) [email protected] BUDDENBROCK PETER EAN VON P O Box 20 Peter Ean Von Buddenbrock (Dir) 9 Farm 374 Prince Alfred Hamlet Farm 423 6840 [email protected] VERDUN FARMIN ESTATES PTY P O Box 38 Adriaan Wolfaardt (Dir) LTD 10 Prins Alfred Hamlet Farm 1/374 6840 [email protected] Farm 97/372 KOELEFONTEIN EIENDOMME PTY P O Box 4 Johannes Conradie (Dir) LTD 11 Prince Alfred Hamlet Farm 21/323 6840 [email protected] Farm 323 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT: The Witzenberg 132/66/11kV 2x80MVA substation provides a 66kV input point to agricultural, residential and commercial loads in the Witzenberg area. The main and only supply into Witzenberg substation is from Romansrivier substation south of Ceres via a single circuit 132kV Bear line. Three 66kV feeders out of Witzenberg supply several 66/11kV and 66/22kV substations. There is also a 11kV supply point at Witzenberg itself. A new 132kV substation at PA Hamlet is also required for the project to reduce the loading on the Romansrivier 132/66kV and or Witzenberg 132/66kV transformers (depending from which side PA Hamlet is supplied) and on the proposed Witzenberg-Ceres 66kV Kingbird line which has a normal rating of 88MVA. Tie-in lines will tee off from the new Ceres to Witzenberg single circuit 132kV line to connect at the new PA Hamlet substation. Key aspects of the project include: • Construction of a new 132kV distribution powerline between Ceres and Witzenberg substations alongside an existing 66 kV powerline; • The new line will be ~32m from the existing 66kV line; • Installation of a 132kV bay at Ceres and Witzenberg substations to accommodate the line; • The proposed structures will be a mix of braced double steel poles and steel monopoles; • Existing formal and informal access tracks/farm roads will be utilised for the full extent of the route to facilitate construction except on the Witzenberg ridge where access to pylon locations 67 – 88 will be by helicopter. The route proposed by ESKOM was evaluated as part of a Baseline study by various specialists in May 2017. A number of issues with respect to environmental and heritage sensitivity were raised with respect to proposed layout of infrastructure. Subsequently, a walkdown of the proposed route was undertaken by specialists and ESKOM representatives on 23 and 24 May 2017. The issues raised in the baseline study were discussed on site and alternative infrastructure positions were proposed in 3 sensitive areas. Most of the issues were to do with botanical and freshwater resources, while heritage issues were relatively few. Based on the reservations of various specialists, a revised route was tabled in March 2020 and after specialist comments, was revised in October 2020. HERITAGE RESOURCES Palaeontology Dr John Almond provided an email comment at the NID stage: "The 132 kV powerline route traverses the outcrop area of the Table Mountain Group for the most part, most of which is of low palaeontological sensitivity (Ordovician - Early Devonian fluvial to shallow marine sandstones of the Peninsula, Goudini, Skurweberg and Rietvlei Formations plus thin glacial tillites of the Pakhuis Formation). Where the route runs along the Skurweberg mountain front to the north of Ceres, as well as to the southwest of Michell's Pass, it overlies low-sensitivity colluvial deposits (Late Caenozoic scree, sheetwash). The sector close to Romansrivier overlies unfossiliferous, tectonised sediments of the Late Precambrian Malmesbury Group. The only palaeontologically sensitive sector of the powerline route is located in Michell's Pass close to the Ou Tol where the route crosses the narrow outcrop band of the Cederberg Formation (Late Ordovician marine mudrocks, very high palaeontological sensitivity). However, the Cederberg mudrocks here are likely to be mantled with colluvial deposits and weathered near-surface, so I doubt that significant fossil impacts would occur." No assessment was requested as impacts were adjudged to be non-existent to very minimal. The sensitive formations discussed by Dr Almond are in the Mitchell’s Pass area on the Romansrivier to Ceres powerline and are not affected by this section of powerline. Pre-colonial heritage Much of the route is through land modified by agriculture or other activities or on steep exposed terrain, and hence pre-colonial sites are few. A slight change to the powerline route was proposed in March 2020, placed it in areas at the foot of the mountains close to rock outcrops that had the potential to contain Later Stone Age material. This area was assessed on 26th March 2020 by Mr J. Gribble and it was in this area that some MSA/LSA artefactual material was recognised. Detailed discussion can be found in the specialist Archaeological report in Appendix E. Site JG004 was found along the northern side of a large rocky outcrop ~30 m to south-west of the proposed pylon #45. The site consists of a thin scatter (no more than 1 piece/m2) of LSA silcrete flakes and pottery (the silcrete is yellow-grey in colour) and there is a possible piece of CCS material. The pottery includes small fragments with red burnish (Plate 1). Proposed grade: IIIC. JG016 is aflat open area where two weathered grey silcrete flakes were observed. It is not clear from the forms if these are LSA or possibly MSA, but possibly the latter based on the degree of weathering. This not a particularly significant site, but does indicate a presence of ancient people on the landscape. Proposed grade: NCW. Historic built environment Since much of the route is through land modified by agriculture or other activities or on steep exposed terrain, the historic built environment is limited. JG005 is a possible stone building foundation on sandy flat area at the foot of mountain consisting of a low rectangular mound ~18 x 6.5 m. Stone is scattered about the area but no brick was observed. Associated scattered cultural material noted around foundation includes green and white glass, iron, copper/brass, and refined earthenware transfer printed ceramics. Based on the ceramics it probably dates to the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. Proposed grade: NCW. JG001/002 consists of a line of stone plinths on which to elevate a water pipeline. Most were simply packed structures but a few had cement to bond the stones. The pipeline is no longer in use but 4 pieces of fibre-cement water pipe are still present in places. To the west of the waypoint JG001, is a stone and cement furrow which brought water to the pipeline. This was probably associated with the dwelling (R002) described below. Proposed grade: NCW. R002 is a ruined vernacular style four room dwelling (two rooms each divided by a central wall) built from Table Mountain Sandstone and measuring ~8 x 3 meters (Plates 2 and 3). R002 lies 50 meters west of the powerline centre line on the farm Dassenklip 375. Exterior stone walls are pointed in raised ribbon style suggesting a late 19th- early 20th century construction date.