Section 24g Application and Wula For Existing Dam on Portion 1 of the Farm Lunsklip 955-Ls in Magoebaskloof, Greater Tzaneen Municipality

Portion 1 of Lunsklip and the Remaining Extent of Nieshoutfontein were used for timber production prior to being purchased by Mr Pirie in 2008. In 2009/2010 an old, broken dam dating from circa 1970s was repaired and upgraded to a capacity of approximately 10 000m3, and a second dam of approximately 4 500m3 was established a short distance downstream on an unnamed tributary of the Broederstroom, and are mainly fed by a spring on one of the properties. Stored water is used for irrigation of approximately 20ha of avocado orchards which were established on part of the old plantation footprint.

Water abstraction rights were in place on the properties when they were purchased. These rights dated from before the promulgation of the (new) National Water Act in 1998 and were registered with the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), but Validation and Verification (V&V) had not yet been done to confirm whether or not the water uses constitute Existing Lawful Use (ELU), viz. water use that was both existing and lawful during the so-called qualifying period from 1996-1998, before the National Water Act took effect. When the properties were sold, the water uses were not transferred to Mr Pirie as the new landowner. The water user accounts were therefore closed by DWS and would need to be reopened
upon transfer to Mr Pirie for lawful water use on portion 1 of the Farm Lunsklip 955-Ls in Magoebaskloof, Greater Tzaneen Municipality, Limpopo Province.