Case Decision - 197740

Interim CommentThe SAHRA APM Unit acknowledges receipt your S24G rectification application and request that the following is undertaken in terms of section 38(3) of the National Heritage Resources Act (25 of 1999) (NHRA) as part of the 24G application process.As per section 24G(1)(vii)(bb) of NEMA, a report containing "an assessment of the nature, extent, duration and significance of the consequences for or impacts on the environment of the activity, including the cumulative effects and manner in which the...cultural aspects of the environment may be affected by the proposed activity" must be compiled. 
As such, an assessment of how the development may have possibly impacted negatively on heritage and/or cultural resources must be conducted, and therefore a heritage impact assessment must be conducted. A desktop-based assessment of the impact to archaeological resources must be conducted by a qualified archaeologist. The report must comply with section 38(3) of the NHRA and the SAHRA 2006 Minimum Standards: Archaeological and Palaeontological Component of Impact Assessments, and the 2012 Minimum Standards: Archaeological Component of Heritage Impact Assessments. The Minimum Standards provides allowance for a Letter of Recommendation for Exemption that can be submitted by a qualified archaeologist should they deem it appropriate.The proposed development is largely located in an area of moderate palaeosensitivity to the east and a small portion of low palaeosensitivity to the west as per the SAHRIS PalaeoSensitivity map. Therefore, a desktop Palaeontological Impact Assessment (PIA) must be undertaken to assess the potential impact of the development of Palaeo-Heritage.  The report must comply with section 38(3) of the NHRA and the SAHRA 2006 Minimum Standards: Archaeological and Palaeontological Component of Impact Assessments, and the 2012 Minimum Standards: Palaeontological Component of Heritage Impact Assessments. The Minimum Standards provides allowance for a Letter of Recommendation for Exemption that can be submitted by a qualified archaeologist should they deem it appropriate.Any other heritage resources as defined in section 3 of the NHRA that may be impacted, such as built structures over 60 years old, sites of cultural significance associated with oral histories, burial grounds and graves, graves of victims of conflict, and cultural landscapes or viewscapes must also be assessed.
Further comments will be issued upon receipt of the above and the S24G report.