Prepared by Knight Piésold (Pty) Ltd 4 De La Rey Road Rivonia, Johannesburg South Africa, 2128 Prepared for Bakubung Minerals Proprietary Limited Farm 259, R565, JQ Bultfontein Ledig Rustenburg North West Province RSA Project Number RI 301-00509/14 BASELINE AQUATIC ECOLOGY ASSESSMENT FOR BAKUBUNG PLATINUM MINE Rev Description Date A Issued in Final 03 April 2020 B Specialist Reports and Reports on Specialist Processes - Checklist NEMA Regulations (2014) – Appendix 6 Reference to section in report 1 A specialist report or a report on a specialised process prepared in terms of these Regulations must contain - (a) i The person who prepared the report; and Section (a) ii The expertise of that specialist to compile a specialist Annexure A reports including a curriculum vitae; (b) A declaration that the specialist is independent in a Next page form as may be specified by the competent authority (c) An indication of the scope of, and the purpose for Section 1.4 which the report was prepared (d) Duration, date and season of the site investigation and the relevance of the season to the outcome of the Section 3.2 assessment (e) Description of the methodology adopted in preparing the report or carrying out the specialised process Section 3.0 inclusive of equipment and modelling used (f) The specific identified sensitivity of the site related to the proposed activity or activities and its associated Section 2.1 structures and infrastructure, inclusive of a site plan identifying site alternatives (g) An identification of any areas to be avoided, including Section 5.0 buffers (h) A map superimposing the activity including the associated structures and infrastructure on the Figure 7 environmental sensitivities of the site including areas to be avoided, including buffers (i) Description of any assumptions made and any Section 4.0 uncertainties or gaps in knowledge (j) a description of the findings and potential implications of such findings on the impact of the proposed activity Section 7.0 or activities; (k) any mitigation measures for inclusion in the EMPr Section 7.0 (l) any conditions for inclusion in the environmental Section 7.0 authorisation; (m) any monitoring requirements for inclusion in the EMPr Section 7.4 or environmental authorisation; (n) A reasoned opinion - (i) whether the proposed activity, activities or portions Section 9.0 thereof should be authorised; (ii) if the opinion is that the proposed activity, activities or portions thereof should be authorised, any avoidance, management and mitigation measures Section 9.0 that should be included in the EMPr, and where applicable, the closure plan; (o) a description of any consultation process that was No consultation was undertaken during the course of preparing the undertaken as part of the study specialist report (p) a summary and copies of any comments received No consultation undertaken as during any consultation process and where part of the study applicable all responses thereto; and (q) any other information requested by the competent None authority. Declaration of Independence by Specialist I, Neal Neervoort, in my capacity as specialist Aquatic Ecologist hereby declare that we – • Act as independent consultants • Do not have any financial interest in the undertaking of the activity, other than remuneration for the work performed in terms of the Environmental Management Act, 2002 (No 5 of 2002); • Have and will not have vested interest in the proposed activity proceeding; • Have no, and will not engage in, conflicting interests in the undertaking of the activity; • Undertake to disclose, to the competent authority, any material information that has or may have the potential to influence the decision of the competent authority or the objectivity of any report, plan or document required in terms of the Environmental Management Act, 2002 (No 5 of 2002); • Will provide the competent authority with access to all information at our disposal regarding the application, whether such information is favourable to the applicant or not; • Based on information provided to us by the project proponent and in addition to information obtained during the course of this study, have presented the results and conclusion within the associated document to the best of our professional ability; and • Undertake to have our work peer reviewed on a regular basis by a competent specialist in the field of study for which we are registered. 04/05/2021 Neal Neervoort Date Aquatic Ecologist SACNASP Reg. No. 115316 Bakubung Minerals Proprietary Limited Baseline Aquatic Ecology Assessment For Bakubung Platinum Mine TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 BackGround ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Project Description ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.2.1 Bakubung Platinum Mine........................................................................................ 1 1.2.2 Tailings Filtration .................................................................................................... 2 1.2.3 Tailings Storage Facility ......................................................................................... 2 1.3 Details of Specialist .................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Terms of Reference ................................................................................................................... 3 2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................................. 4 2.1 General Site Characteristics ...................................................................................................... 6 2.1.1 Catchment .............................................................................................................. 6 2.1.2 National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPA) ...................................... 6 2.1.3 Present Ecological State, Ecological Importance and Sensitivity .......................... 7 2.2 Aquatic Sampling Sites .............................................................................................................. 9 3.0 METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................................... 11 3.1 Desktop Assessment and Literature Review ........................................................................... 11 3.2 Field Survey ............................................................................................................................. 11 3.3 Aquatic Assessment ................................................................................................................. 11 3.3.1 In-situ Water Quality ............................................................................................. 11 3.3.2 Visual Assessment ............................................................................................... 11 3.3.3 Invertebrate Habitat Assessment (IHAS) ............................................................. 12 3.3.4 Aquatic Invertebrates ............................................................................................ 12 3.3.5 Ichthyofauna (Fish) ............................................................................................... 13 3.4 Wetland Assessment ............................................................................................................... 16 3.4.1 Wetland Delineation and Classification ................................................................ 16 3.4.2 Ecological Importance and Sensitivity .................................................................. 17 3.5 Present Ecological State (PES) ............................................................................................... 18 4.0 ASSUMPTIONS AND LIMITATIONS ...................................................................................... 19 5.0 AQUATIC BASELINE ASSESSMENT .................................................................................... 20 5.1 In-situ Water Quality ................................................................................................................. 20 5.2 Invertebrate Habitat Assessment (IHAS) ................................................................................. 20 5.2.1 BKB-U ................................................................................................................... 21 5.2.2 BKB-D ................................................................................................................... 21 5.3 Aquatic Invertebrates ............................................................................................................... 21 5.3.1 BKB-U ................................................................................................................... 21 5.3.2 BKB-D ................................................................................................................... 22 5.4 Ichtyofuana (Fish) .................................................................................................................... 23 5.4.1 BKB-U ................................................................................................................... 23 5.4.2 BKB-D ..................................................................................................................