Case Decision - 194234

Final Comment
The SAHRA Archaeology, Palaeontology and Meteorites (APM) Unit has no objection to the overall proposed amendment to the authorised development.
With regards to the proposed amendment to condition 123, SAHRA requests that the amendment read as follows:
“Pre-construction archaeological walkthrough is required of the final layout. A report detailing the results of the walk-down must be submitted to SAHRA for comment. The holder must keep a list documenting all features of archaeological significance, identified by the archaeologist, which may be impacted by the development and which must be demarcated as no-go areas.”
SAHRA does not accept the request that either a walk-down or a desktop study be undertaken. The final layout of the development must be physically inspected by a qualified archaeologist and a report must be submitted to SAHRA for comment.
The following additional conditions must be included in the Environmental Management Programme (EMPr) and completed should the Amended EA be granted:

The Final Amendment Report and EMPr must be uploaded to the SAHRIS application for record purposes;
If any evidence of archaeological sites or remains (e.g. remnants of stone-made structures, indigenous ceramics, bones, stone artefacts, ostrich eggshell fragments, charcoal and ash concentrations), fossils or other categories of heritage resources are found during the proposed development, SAHRA APM Unit (Natasha Higgitt/Phillip Hine 021 462 5402) must be alerted as per section 35(3) of the NHRA. If unmarked human burials are uncovered, the SAHRA Burial Grounds and Graves (BGG) Unit (Thingahangwi Tshivhase/Mimi Seetelo 012 320 8490), must be alerted immediately as per section 36(6) of the NHRA. A professional archaeologist or palaeontologist, depending on the nature of the finds, must be contracted as soon as possible to inspect the findings. If the newly discovered heritage resources prove to be of archaeological or palaeontological significance, a Phase 2 rescue operation may be required subject to permits issued by SAHRA;
The decision regarding the Amended EA Application must be communicated to SAHRA and uploaded to the SAHRIS Case application.