HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF N2 – MVEZO VILLAGE LINK ROAD AND BRIDGE, EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA Prepared for SSI Engineers and Environmental Consultants Building No. 5, Country Club Estate 21 Woodlands Drive Woodmead, Gauteng Telephone Marius Venter 011 7986000
[email protected] Prepared by eThembeni Cultural Heritage Box 20057 Ashburton 3213 Pietermaritzburg Telephone 033 326 1136 / 082 655 9077 / 082 529 3656 Facsimile 086 672 8557
[email protected] 7 December 2010 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF N2 – MVEZO VILLAGE LINK ROAD AND BRIDGE, EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE Management summary eThembeni Cultural Heritage was appointed by SSI to undertake a heritage impact assessment of the construction and upgrade of an access road and bridge in the Eastern Cape Province, in terms of the National Heritage Resources Act No 25 of 1999. eThembeni staff members inspected the area on 1, 2 and 3 December 2010, and completed a controlled-exclusive surface survey and a database and literature search. Observations − Places, buildings, structures and equipment Ex-President Nelson Mandela was born in Mvezo in 1918. As a toddler, he moved with his parents to Qunu to join other relatives. The Nelson Mandela Museum consequently has three precincts, located in Mthatha, Qunu and Mvezo. These places have high heritage significance at all levels for their social, cultural and spiritual values. The proposed N2 – Mvezo link road and bridge will not affect the Eastern Cape-Mbashe, Coffee Bay, Mvezo-Nelson Mandela Museum at Mvezo directly, but will have indirect positive impacts on the place by facilitating visitor access and local economic empowerment. − Archaeological sites The proposed bridge across the Mbashe River on route Alternative 1 is located within and adjacent to the river floodplain, which has been ploughed extensively for agricultural crop production.