7 SOCIO-ECONOMIC BASELINE

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1 7 SOCIO-ECONOMIC BASELINE This section describes the socio-economic environment in which the Solar Project is situated. The description provided in this section was determined through the review of existing publicly available and secondary information, primary data collected for the Project, and observations and interviews conducted during site visits. Please note that the Project Site referred to is the Preferred Site (Site 1) as defined in the Alternatives Section (Section 4) of this Report. All baseline information that was collected for the purposes of this EIA process was strictly for the Preferred Site, now referred to as the Project Site. 7.1 AREA OF INFLUENCE (AOI) The socio-economic baseline description is focused on local level, i.e. within the Rand West City Local Municipality, situated in the West Rand District Municipality. This is because it is expected that although the proposed Project will result in macro-economic benefits at a national level through the mine, the primary socio-economic impacts of the Project will be experienced at a district and local level. The socio-economic area of influence has been divided into the Direct Area of Influence and the Indirect Area of Influence, these are described below Area of Direct Influence The Area of Direct Influence (ADI) includes the Project footprint and related facilities as well as the associated effects of the Project on the receiving environment. This encompasses: The 1km 2 Solar PV site; and The 11kV line to the Mine s grid. In the context of this study, the ADI further includes areas around the site likely to be affected by the Project activities during the pre-construction, construction and operation phases. The effects can be positive or negative, short or long term or permanent, as well as direct and in-direct. These areas include the settlements located within close proximity to the Project Site. Based on the nature and scale of this Project, the ADI will be old Westonaria Local Municipality, and encompasses the following areas (refer to Figure 7.1): Westonaria and Hillshaven Glenharvie and Venterspost Bekkersdal and Simunye Jachtfontein Kalbaasfonteian Zuurbekom; and Thusanang 7-1

2 The Area of Direct Influence is referred to collectively as Westonaria in this baseline, refer to Figure Area of Indirect Influence The Area of Indirect Influence (AII), includes areas within a wider radius of the Project Site, which may be affected by the Project, this includes, although to a lesser extent, the remainder of the Rand West City Local Municipality and the West Rand District Municipality, refer to Figure LAND USE The land under Site 1 is zoned as General type (permitted use: buildings for mining purposes and purposes incidental to mining). The Project Site is currently utilised for grazing cattle. There are approximately 20 mine employees who own cattle and have an informal arrangement with the Mine allowing them to graze their cattle on the Site (see Annex E of the EIA). The number of cattle owned by individuals ranges from 2 to 12, and as of June 2017, there was a total of 109 head of cattle on site. On average cattle owners have been using the site for four years, while some have been grazing cattle on the land for seven years, others have only recently started to use the site (within the past year). The cattle are kept on the site permanently and the mine employees have employed two people to watch over the cattle. These two individuals live a small shelter just south of the Project Site. According to the cattle owners, the cattle are kept as a form of investment and during the December period the owners typically take the cattle with them when they return home to add to their herd. It was noted that the cattle are sometimes sold to the surrounding community if there is a demand. All cattle owners noted that they do not have access to alternative grazing land. The predominant land use surrounding the Mine is agricultural and mining. Most of the land surrounding the Mine falls under Sibanye Mining s lease agreement, with Sibanye s Cooke mining operations to the east, and Kloof mining operations to the west, (see Figure 7.1) Other properties in the surrounding areas are owned either by Eskom, the Far West Rand Dolomitic Association, Randfontein Estates (Harmony), the State (represented by the Department of Land Affairs and Gauteng Provincial Government), the National Housing Board, the Westonaria Local Municipality or Waterpan Gold Mining Company (Pty) Ltd. At a regional scale, other mines located around the South Deep Mine include: Anglo Gold Ashanti, Savuka Mine 25 km west; TauTona Mine 22 km west; 7-2

3 Harmony Doornkop Gold Mine 25 km north east; and Mponeng Gold Mine 22 km south west. 7-3

4 Figure 7.1 Surrounding Mining Rights Source: Adapted from Sibanye Gold, 7-4

5 7.2 ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE The Project is in the Gauteng Province and the West Rand District Municipality (WRDM). The WRDM is located in the western part of the Gauteng Province and borders the North West Province. The WRDM has three local municipalities; namely Mogale City, Rand West City, and Merafong City, and the Project site are located in Ward 30 of the Rand West City Municipality (RWC Local Municipality) (see Figure 7.1). RWCM is a recently established municipality and was formed through in the amalgamation of the Randfontein and Westonaria Local Municipalities after the August 2016 local elections. The Provincial government is responsible for providing the strategic vision and framework for the Province. They are responsible for ensuring cooperation and collaboration between municipalities and that each municipality performs their respective functions. In turn, each of the District Municipalities is responsible for the preparation of Integrated Development Plans and for the overall provision of services and infrastructure within their District. Figure 7.2 shows the administrative structure of the respective levels of government. Figure 7.2 Administrative Structure Gauteng Provincial Government West Rand District Municipality Rand West City Local Municipality Ward

6 7.3 PROVINCIAL CONTEXT The Project is located in the Gauteng Province, the smallest province in South Africa, measuring 18,176 km 2. Gauteng is home to almost a quarter of the population of South Africa (24 percent, 13,200,300 people) (Gauteng Spatial Development Framework, 2015), and over 97 percent of the population live in urban areas. The population density in the Province is 680 people per square kilometre, the highest of all the provinces in South Africa. The Province has a large area of urban sprawl running from Pretoria in the north, to Johannesburg in the centre and Vereeniging in the south. Other important nodes include Kempton Park, Germiston, Springs, Alberton, Boksburg, Benoni, Vanderbijlpark, Krugersdorp, Randfontein and Westonaria. Once the mining centre of South Africa; Gauteng is now the country s financial and business capital, contributing 34 percent to the national GDP (Gauteng SDF). Mining and agricultural hubs exist around the periphery of the Province. The unemployment rate in the Province has decreased significantly from 37 percent in 2001 to 26.3 percent in This is in line with the current national unemployment rate of 26 percent (StatsSA, 2017). According to the 2016 Community Survey, 4.6 percent of the population of Gauteng live in poverty, a slight improvement from 4.8 percent recorded in 2011 (StatsSA, 2016). A key challenge for the Province is the high rate of in-migration. People from other parts of South Africa and Africa are drawn to Gauteng in search of employment as it is an economic hub. This has far reaching implications for the delivery of social infrastructure and services, as well as the unemployment levels in the Province. 7.4 SOCIO-ECONOMIC BASELINE FOR THE AREA OF INFLUENCE The Rand West City Local Municipality (RWC Local Municipality) is a newly formed local municipality, and data for the new Municipality have been used where available to develop this baseline. As explained above, the ADI is considered to be the old Westonaria Local Municipality, as such the baseline information reflected below does draw on secondary data for the old Westonaria Local Municipality to provide specific information about the ADI. Where this data has been used, the ADI is referred to as Westonaria (as explained in Section 7.1). Population Demographics Both the West Rand District Municipality (WRDM) and RWC Local Municipality are less populated than many of the other municipalities in the Gauteng Province. Settlement nodes are typically clustered around mining areas and the rural areas are sparsely populated. Some 91 percent of households in the RWC Local Municipality are concentrated in urban areas 7-6

7 with the remaining 9 percent in rural areas (StatsSA, 2016). Westonaria is more sparsely populated than the surrounding area, largely due to the presence of large mining rights and agricultural areas. The population growth rate for Westonaria was -2.6 percent between 2011 and 2016 (StatsSA) indicating that the area is not experiencing population growth, but rather that people are leaving the area, most likely in search of employment in larger urban centers, and other Provinces which have experienced mining booms, such as Limpopo and the North West (EDS, 2017) Further information around the population is provided in Table 7.1. Table 7.1 Population Summary Administrative Area Size Population Population Density Growth Rate Name West Rand District 4,027km 2 838, people per square - Municipality kilometre Rand West City Local 1,115 km 2 265, people per square 0.42 Municipality kilometre Westonaria 640 km people per square -2.6 kilometre Source: StatsSA, 2016 At both a District and Local Municipality level, Black African people are the dominant population group, followed by White people. It is only in the Randfontein Local Municipality, where there is a population of Coloured people of closed to 10 percent (StatsSA, 2011), as shown in Figure 7.3. There is a larger male population within Westonaria compared to females (55 percent males vs 45 percent females), which can be attributed to a historical pattern of in-migration of males into the area to work at mine sites. Figure 7.3 Ethnic Composition in the District and Local Municipalities Percent Black Coloured Asian White West Rand District Municipality Randfontein Local Municipality Westonaria Source: StatsSA,

8 Setswana is the dominant language spoken at both a District and Local Municipality level with 32 percent of both populations speaking the language (StatsSA, 2016). Within the Westonaria, isixhosa is the dominant language with 26 percent of the population speaking the language, (Stats 2011). Local Economy and Livelihoods The WRDM economy is primarily driven by mining industries and the manufacture of non-metallic products. The mining and production of gold contributes positively to labour absorption within the WRDM. The mining and quarrying sector accounts for 38.9 percent of economic activity in the WRDM. Details of other sector contributions can be found in Figure 7.4. The mining and quarrying sector contributes significantly to the economic output of the Westonaria and Randfontein Local Municipalities, particularly Westonaria at 76 percent. General government and personal services is the second highest contributor in both Municipalities, as shown in Figure 7.4 Figure 7.4 Sectoral Contribution to Economic Output Percent 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Westonaria Randfontein Local Municipality West Rand District Municipality Source: WRDM IDP Unemployment The unemployment rate in the WRDM was 26.7 percent in 2011 (StatsSA, 2011). This is comprised of people who are unemployed but seeking employment, as well as those who are not seeking employment. The unemployment rate in the Westonaria Local Municipality was 24.7 percent in 2012, while the unemployment rate in the Randfontein Local Municipality was significantly higher at 36.2 percent. Important to note is that the unemployment rate for females in Westonaria was 48 percent in 2011, significantly higher than that of the male population (19 percent). This reflects the higher demand for male labor by the mining sector. 7-8

9 Education Access to education has been steadily improving within the WRDM, with over 30 percent of the population over the age of 20 having completed secondary school in 2011, up from just over 15 percent in The number of people with a higher education remains low at around 10 percent (StatsSA, 2011). Within the RWC Local Municipality, the number of people completing secondary school has increased from 30 percent to approximately 35 percent between 2011 and However, the number of people with higher education has fallen from 8 percent to 6.5 percent, lower than that of the District ( Within Westonaria, the number of people with no schooling has increase by 125 percent from 2011 to 2016 (StatsSA). This could indicate that adults who have come into the area have no schooling, rather than a decrease in school enrollment amongst the youth. Health Overall, prevalence the HIV/ AIDS has been quite stable in the WRDM, decreasing from 7.9 percent in 2003 to 7.6 percent by 2013 in the Randfontein Local Municipality and decreasing from 10.3 percent to percent in the Westonaria Local Municipality over that same period (WRDM IDP, 2016). There are clinics located in most of the urban centres within Westonaria, including Thusanang. Social Infrastructure and Services Housing The provision of housing has improved in the RWC Local Municipality, with approximately 70 percent of households living in formal dwellings (StatsSA), compared to around 60 percent in 2003 (WRDM IDP). It must be noted that in Westonaria, while there has been an increase in the number of people with access of formal housing, there has also been an increase in the number of informal houses in the area. This is largely due to the growth of Thusanang Informal Settlement, located adjacent to the southeast boundary of the South Deep Mine. The Thusanang Informal Settlement, situated on approximately 32 hectares, is located 18km from Westonaria along the R28 and 1km from South Deep Mine. This informal settlement has grown from about 166 households in 1998 to about 1091 households in Figure 7.5 below show the growth of Thusanang between 2010 and There are approximately South Deep mine workers (permanent employees and full-time contractors) living in accommodation provided by the mine. These include the Emoyeni Hostel, Ethembeni, Enduleni and Sifikile shared residences as well as security barracks, located on the Mine. 7-9

10 Figure 7.5 Growth of Thusanang Township Ariel view of Thusanang 2010 Ariel view of Thusanang

11 Water In the RWC Local Municipality, 86 percent of the population has access to a municipal source of water, which includes households that have access to water inside their homes, from outside taps on their properties and from communal taps. Approximately 8 percent have a private source of water, such as private borehole or their own source on a farm (StatsSA, 2016). According to the WRDM IDP, the overall percentage of households with access to piped water decreased between 2003 and 2012 throughout all local municipalities. This indicated that the Municipalities are struggling to keep up with the demand for piped water. The Thusanang informal settlement does not have access to bulk water supply and water is provided via communal taps from an existing water pipeline from Hillshaven. There are approximately 11 communal taps which service the entire township (EDS, 2017). The Gauteng Spatial Development Framework (SDF) notes that the existing water storage capacity in RWC Local Municipality is not sufficient to meet future demands and capacity requirements. There are, however, multiple reservoirs being developed to address current water challenges. Sanitation In 2016, the RWC Local Municipality had provided 80 percent of households with flush toilets, while 14 percent of households make use of a pit latrine (StatsSA). The provision of adequate sanitation has improved since 2003, particularly in and around Westonaria. The Gauteng SDF, (2015) indicates that while sanitation capacity is available in the RWC Local Municipality, the infrastructure needs refurbishing. No bulk sewer services exist in Thusanang and the residents use septic tanks which are emptied by the RWC Local Municipality. Waste The number of household with access to solid waste removal in Westonaria improved from 76 percent to 88 percent between 2011 and 2016, (StatsSA, 2016). There are a number of solid waste disposal sites across the RWC Local Municipality, however it is noted that solid waste sites around Westonaria have fewer than 10 years of capacity remaining (Gauteng Spatial Development Framework, 2015). Energy Within the RWC Local Municipality the proportion of households using electricity for lighting is approximately 78 percent (StatsSA, 2016). Much of the improvement in the provision of electricity has been around Westonaria. 7-11

12 Households without access to electricity for use candles (10 percent) or paraffin (9 percent) for lighting. While 77 percent of household in the RWC Local Municipality use electricity for cooking, 16 percent use paraffin and 5 percent make use of gas (StatsSA, 2016). There is no access to electricity in Thusanang. Roads The N12 and N14 National roads cross the WRDM in a west to north eastern direction. According the Gauteng SDF, the N14 is a high traffic volume freeway that is under severe stress. Many internal roads within the RWC Local Municipality are in a state of fair to poor condition, while most of the municipal roads have reached zero-remaining useful life. 7.5 POLICING AND CRIME There are two police stations in Westonaria, one in Bekkersdal and the other in the town of Westonaria itself. The table below shows the increase in certain crimes over a five year period for Gauteng and Westonaria. There has been a marked increase in stock theft, truck hijacking and drug related crime in Westonaria over the past five years. The persistent incidences of stock theft were confirmed by neighbouring farmers in the area, (personal comms, 2017). Table 7.2 Increase in Crime (%) over the Past Five Years Crime Category Gauteng Westonaria Contact Crimes ( Crimes Against the Person) Murder 28% 39% Attempted murder 33% 54% Assault with the intent to inflict grievous 0% bodily harm 29% Robbery with aggravating circumstances 42% 17% Property-related Crimes Stock-theft 35% 225% Crime Detected as a Result of Police Action Drug-related crime 114% 387% Driving under the influence of alcohol or 56% drugs 76% Subcategories of Aggravated Robbery Carjacking 48% 30% Truck hijacking 57% 400% Robbery at residential premises 25% 91% Robbery at non-residential premises 35% 11% Source: CULTURAL HERITAGE A desktop review of available information has revealed that two cultural heritage surveys have been undertaken in the area. The first is mentioned in 7-12

13 the South Deep Mine EMP and speaks of a survey undertaken in 1995 for which the author is unknown. This report notes a number of Stone Age and Iron Age sites (Figure 7.6). In addition to the above, another survey was undertaken by Dr Julius Pistorius surveyed the Doornpoort tailings dam complex site (in November 2005) and pipeline routes (February 2006) for sites of archaeological, cultural and historic interest. This survey sites ranging from the recent past to the first half of the 20 th Century to the late 19 th / early 20 th Century. The sites consisted of the following: Historical house (partly destroyed) older than 60 years; Colonial (historical) farm homestead older than 60 years; Farm homestead from the recent past. In terms of cultural heritage resources associated with the proposed Project site alternatives Table 7.3 provides a summary of the site screening t findings, which was undertaken as part of the site selection process undertaken in 2016, (refer to Chapter 4 Alternatives). Table 7.3 Cultural heritage screening assessment of proposed site alternatives Site Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4 Site 5 Built Environment Structures occur on site and can be related to unmarked graves No structures were during site visit No structures were during the site visit. No structures were The site has been extensively disturbed Archaeology Graves Intangible heritage No sites were No sites were No sites were Archaeological sites have been recorded in the area previously The site has been extensively disturbed Unmarked graves may occur. No sites were No sites were Unknown The site has been extensively disturbed No sites were No sites were No sites were An informal church occurs on site The site has been extensively disturbed As Site 1 has been as the preferred alternative the presence of structures and potential graves was further investigated during the EIA phase by conducting a heritage survey of the Site which revealed the following heritage sites (as shown on Figure 7.7) and outlined below. 7-13

14 Figure 7.6 Location of recorded sites within the development footprint Source: HCAC - Heritage Consultants, Built Environment (Section 34 of the NHRA) Feature 1 This feature consists of ephemeral stone wall foundations (Figure 7.7) that is entirely overgrown (Figure 7.8). Most of the walling has been removed but it seems as if the feature was rectangular in shape measuring approximately 8 x 6 meters. No other features or artefacts were noted and the site has been demolished to the extent that it is of low heritage significance. The site is given a Generally Protected C (GP.C) field rating. It must however be kept in mind that sites like these may contain unmarked graves. 7-14

15 Figure 7.7 Ephemeral Stone Foundations Figure 7.8 Feature 1 viewed from the South Feature 2 This is the remains of a rectangular stone walled house (Figure 7.10). This ruin has an entrance facing east and seems to have consisted of one room only. 7-15

16 This ruin is interpreted as farm labourer housing and two large middens (Figure 7.10) occur to the east and south of the ruin with various industrial artefacts scattered across the site. These middens measure approximately 6 meters in diameter. This feature is not of architectural or historical importance and is of low heritage significance. The site is given a Generally Protected B (GP.B) field rating. It must however be kept in mind that sites like these may contain unmarked graves. Figure 7.9 Feature 2 Viewed from the East 7-16