Phase 1 Heritage Impact Assessment Report: OR Tambo Homestead, Mdikiso Village, Mbizana Local Municipality, Oliver Tambo Distric
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Phase 1 Heritage Impact Assessment Report: OR Tambo Homestead, Mdikiso Village, Mbizana Local Municipality, Oliver Tambo District, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa Prepared for The Independent Development Trust Glenwood Office Park Cnr Oberon & Spritz Streets Faerie Glen 0043 Telephone Lindelwa Mabuntana 012 845 2000 [email protected] Prepared by ETHEMBENI CULTURAL HERITAGE Elizabeth Wahl and Len van Schalkwyk Box 20057 Ashburton 3213 Pietermaritzburg Telephone 033 326 1136 / 082 655 9077 / 082 529 3656 Facsimile 086 672 8557 [email protected] 21 February 2013 Phase 1 HIA of OR Tambo Homestead, Mdikiso Village, Bizana Local Municipality, Eastern Cape EXECUTIVE SUMMARY eThembeni Cultural Heritage was appointed by the Independent Development Trust to undertake a Phase 1 Heritage Impact Assessment of the OR Tambo Homestead at Mdikiso village in the Eastern Cape Province, in terms of Section 38 of the National Heritage Resources Act 25 of 1999, as amended. HERITAGE RESOURCE DESCRIPTION AND SIGNIFICANCE The OR Tambo Homestead has been occupied continuously for the past sixty years and has seen episodes of growth and demise depending on the family’s needs and means. The site has high historical value at all levels for its strong and special association with a person whose life, works and activities have been significant within the history of the nation, province, region and community. The site has high social value at all levels for its social, cultural, spiritual, symbolic, aesthetic and educational associations with the life of a prominent South African. The site is unique, as the rural home of an individual who made an indelible contribution to the socio-political development of South Africa. DEVELOPMENT INFORMANTS 1 – Site authenticity 2 – Multi-layered social and historical fabric 3 – Domestic scale of the site 4 – Dynamic rural landscape ASSESSMENT OF PROPOSAL Potential impacts have been assessed in ‘worst case’ terms, given the lack of detail regarding proposed interventions available from the client at the time of assessment. Overall, unmanaged interventions could have a medium to high negative impact on irreplaceable heritage resources. RECOMMENDATIONS The following general recommendations pertain to the development proposal. Specific recommendations for each proposed intervention are made in the body of the report. o No existing structure may be demolished, since each attests to the growth and development of the family over six decades. o All interventions must be sanctioned by family members who reside at or have a close relationship with the homestead, in order to maintain familial and social bonds and conventions. o The layout and position of existing structures must remain unchanged to maintain the domestic scale of the site. o Intervention strategies must be monitored by a suitably qualified heritage practitioner in conjunction with the architects and civil engineers. CONCLUSION We recommend that the development proceed with the proposed heritage mitigation and have submitted this report to SAHRA in fulfilment of the requirements of the NHRA. If permission is granted for development to proceed, the client is reminded that the NHRA requires that a developer cease all work immediately and follow the protocol contained in Section 9 of this report should any heritage resources, as defined in the Act, be discovered during the course of development activities. eThembeni Cultural Heritage for The Independent Development Trust Page 2 Phase 1 HIA of OR Tambo Homestead, Mdikiso Village, Bizana Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................... 2 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 5 2 TERMS OF REFERENCE ................................................................................................................................ 5 3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................................................ 6 4 PROJECT LOCATION AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................ 7 5 SITE DESCRIPTION ..................................................................................................................................... 10 SITE HISTORY .................................................................................................................................... 10 SITE COMPONENTS............................................................................................................................. 10 6 HERITAGE STATEMENT ............................................................................................................................... 14 OR TAMBO AND THE LIBERATION HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA ............................................................... 14 STATEMENT OF HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE ............................................................................................. 15 RECOMMENDATION OF HERITAGE STATEMENT..................................................................................... 15 SUGGESTED GRADING ........................................................................................................................ 16 7 DEVELOPMENT INFORMANTS ...................................................................................................................... 17 8 ASSESSMENT OF PROPOSAL ...................................................................................................................... 18 FENCING THE HOMESTEAD .................................................................................................................. 18 UPGRADING THE FAMILY CEMETERY .................................................................................................... 18 UPGRADING THE CATTLE BYRE AND SMALL STOCK ENCLOSURE ............................................................. 18 REPLACING OR RESTORING THE RONDAVELS ....................................................................................... 19 REPLACING OR RESTORING THE OR TAMBO DWELLING ........................................................................ 19 RESTORING MRS GERTIE TAMBO’S HOUSE .......................................................................................... 19 LANDSCAPING THE HOMESTEAD .......................................................................................................... 19 9 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................................. 20 GENERAL ........................................................................................................................................... 20 FENCING THE HOMESTEAD .................................................................................................................. 20 UPGRADING THE FAMILY CEMETERY .................................................................................................... 20 UPGRADING THE CATTLE BYRE AND SMALL STOCK ENCLOSURE ............................................................. 20 RESTORING THE RONDAVELS .............................................................................................................. 20 RESTORING THE OR TAMBO DWELLING .............................................................................................. 20 RESTORING MRS GERTIE TAMBO’S HOUSE .......................................................................................... 20 LANDSCAPING THE HOMESTEAD .......................................................................................................... 20 10 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................ 21 11 BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................................................... 21 APPENDIX A STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................................................... 22 APPENDIX B ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE STUDY AREA ............................................. 27 APPENDIX C METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................................... 34 APPENDIX D SPECIALIST COMPETENCY AND DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE ............................................... 37 eThembeni Cultural Heritage for The Independent Development Trust Page 3 Phase 1 HIA of OR Tambo Homestead, Mdikiso Village, Bizana Local Municipality, Eastern Cape List of figures FIGURE 1 LOCATION OF PROJECT IN REGIONAL CONTEXT (SOURCE: GOOGLE EARTH). ........................................ 7 FIGURE 2 LOCATION OF PROJECT IN LOCAL CONTEXT (SOURCE: GOOGLE EARTH). ............................................. 7 FIGURE 3 EXTRACT FROM THE RELEVANT SURVEYOR-GENERAL 1:50 000 MAP SHEET. ....................................... 8 FIGURE 4 TYPICAL FENCED HOMESTEAD PRECINCT, NKANTOLO, BIZANA. ........................................................... 9 FIGURE 5 OR TAMBO HOMESTEAD LAYOUT. ................................................................................................... 11 FIGURE 6 RONDAVEL1. .................................................................................................................................