'Fatally flawed environmental impact assessment' – residents fight proposed Drakensberg high-voltage line

A map of the transmission line's route from Tugela in KwaZulu-Nata to Sorata in the Free State, over the Drakensberg. (Image: Supplied)

By Derek Alberts

1 Aug 2024

Eskom’s unseemly haste to forge ahead with a high-voltage line over the northern Drakensberg has galvanised residents in sleepy Geluksburg, tucked in between the more famous Van Reenen's and Oliviershoek passes, to fight for the right to have a say in the future of the hamlet.

Residents in the remote village of Geluksburg have vowed to oppose Eskom’s plans to erect a high-voltage transmission line to beef up power supply between sub-stations in KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State.

If Eskom has its way, and the environmental impact assessment by the appointed consultants holds sway, Geluksburg will have a 400kV transmission line, suspended from steel towers between 40m and 58m high, boxing in its northern and eastern boundaries.

The proposed 400kV line to connect the sub-stations of Tugela in KZN and Sorata in the Free State is a modest addition to Eskom’s national transmission network.

The 55km line to replace the existing 132 kV line forms part of the utility’s urgent mission to roll out 800km of transmission and distribution lines over the next three years to meet burgeoning demand from both coal-powered and renewable energy sources.

Eskom’s haste comes at an unacceptable cost, say Geluksburg residents who object to “a fatally flawed” environmental impact assessment by Johannesburg-based Phuka tsa Nong.

“We’re told that the Scoping Report was accepted, but some residents don’t even know that the project is under way,” said resident Patrick Dalais.

A map indicating the impact of the 1km corridor on affected properties in the village. (Image: Supplied)

Word of the new transmission line surfaced when an alert official at the Okhahlamba Municipality in Bergville passed on the notice to a Geluksburg resident last month.

“It turned out the consultants published the notices about the project in obscure newspapers that didn’t reach us, or stuck A4 sheets to fences. They literally did as little as they had to.”

In their defence, EAP Consultants cite a litany of obstacles, from outdated property registers, difficulty in obtaining the contact details of affected landowners, and being chased away by a miffed farmer.

“It was a scary scenario. We immediately stopped going into people’s personal spaces,” said MD Kelebogile Mogajane on behalf of Phuka tse Nong.

Word of the project energised residents who have been playing catch-up since. The main concern is the suggested route of the line, one of three identified but the only option pursued by Phuka tsa Nong in its report.

It would seem multiple environmental sensitivities along the Sterkfontein Dam reserve and a firm no-no from Ezemvelo KZN persuaded the consultants to propose the dog-leg route to Geluksburg and also identify a 1km-wide servitude to service the line.

Route of least resistance

Mogajane confirmed that the route of least resistance was chosen during the scoping phase.

“It was recommended that we leave out Corridor 1 and 3 as they were going through protected areas… hence only corridor 2 is studied in the environmental impact assessment phase,” Mogajane says.

A wide corridor gives the consultants considerable flexibility to appraise ecological, social, and visual impacts, as well as ponder route adjustments, and pave the way for possible construction activities, access roads, and maintenance operations.

For some residents, the corridor portends more line and infrastructure upgrades without the need for extensive re-evaluations or additional land acquisitions.

A map of the transmission line's route from Tugela in KwaZulu-Nata to Sorata in the Free State, over the Drakensberg. (Image: Supplied)

As things stand, the proposed corridor affects 142 of the 310 erven, or properties, representing some 62 owners in Geluksburg. It also cuts a swathe through highly productive farmland and communal land and threatens a rich repository of “significant” palaeolithic, ecological and historic interest.

The sheer scope of the affected land – about 55 km2 or 6,556 rugby fields – has stirred suspicions of an ill-disguised land grab and is grist for the mill among the village’s conspiracy theorists.

Whatever the final determination, the project has cast a deep pall of uncertainty over Geluksburg, its investment potential, and foundational appeal.

Accessible on gravel roads only, the hamlet is a haven for retirees, recluses, and refugees from the world seeking out its remoteness. It’s also home to a handful of professionals who work remotely, including digital nomads, who proudly proclaim Gelukburg’s egalitarianism.

Dalais points out that Geluksburg is not the only community affected. The sprawling settlements of Tshiame, Nqula and Tintwa on the road to Harrismith face severe disruption. Nearby settlements and homesteads would be similarly affected with most households unaware of the project and its implications, he said.

‘Fobbed off’

Communities in the Free State affected by the line were likely to encounter the same frustrations and quite possibly be fobbed off with the same vague promises of jobs and clinic upgrades, said Dalias.

“There’s no answer to the number of jobs or even what kind of employment opportunities are in play. Or what is meant by a clinic upgrade.”

If the prospect of an unsightly 400kV transmission line humming around the clock is a red flag, then Phuka tsa Nong is waving it, according to residents.

“We’ve been kept in the dark about the project. The appalling public participation process speaks volumes,” said Dalais.

“It’s not that we’re against an upgraded transmission line, but we object to being presented with a fait accompli. Why is the report focused on the option that impacted the Geluksburg area the most?”

The draft Scoping Report, submitted in November 2023, prompted a stern rebuke from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. A five-page response not only detailed the missing parts of the report, but also reminded MD Kelebogile Mogajane of the project’s 40-day deadline before its expiry.

Phuka tsa Nong made haste to submit its report and received the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s letter of acceptance on 28 February. Tellingly, the acceptance is conditional on the consultants addressing a list of concerns running to 2½ pages.

In the rush to meet the deadlines, it is claimed the consultants compromised on the veracity, and quality, of the report. Among other shortcomings highlighted, the report unwittingly subverted the rights of residents to the experience of tourists. A reference to the proposed line’s visual impact, for example, is described as: “Visul (sic) impacts are low because yhe (sic) line is far away from receptors such as tourists.”

Alarm bells

Shortcomings in some of the speciality reports also ring alarm bells. A low bird species count – 34 – shows only the threatened southern bald ibis and endangered Cape vulture as being deemed conservation-importance worthy. Omitted from the report were two other endangered birds, the southern ground hornbill and secretary bird.

The consultants’ response is that the birds were not observed during two visits – in July and October 2023 – by its proxy, Mora Ecological Service. To cover all bases, it added that “possible impacts on birds have been highlighted and their mitigations have been provided (in the report)”.

To compound the community’s anxiety, a meeting with Phuka tsa Nong on Friday, 17 July, confirmed that the department had approved the draft Scoping Report.

“We’re in shock, we can’t believe that the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment did not dismiss the public participation process as a disaster,” said Dalais.

The lapses also shine a light on the consultants’ poor knowledge of the scoping area and the changes that have transformed the region over the past 20 years.

“The report is informed by outdated data, not to mention the expansion of human activity and the growth of settlements that renders it practically worthless,” said Dalais.

Mogajane sees it differently and takes comfort from the specialist studies and input from stakeholders. They include KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife, the Endangered Wildlife Trust, and “other government departments which support the proposed power line”.

Start afresh

As far as residents are concerned, the only way forward is to start the entire process afresh with a deep dive into on-the-ground realities.

“We’ve got to go back to Ground Zero, do proper studies on the terrain, investigate contemporary land-use patterns, and most importantly, consult with the community who are directly affected,” said Dalais.

“There’s a better way of doing things, of planning energy needs for the future. Hopefully the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, under new minister Dion George, will see things through the lens of reality.”

Repeated attempts for input from Eskom on the shortcomings in the specialist reports and what compensatory measures are to be offered to affected communities were unsuccessful.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment confirmed conditional acceptance of the Scoping Report adding that objections from residents would be taken into consideration "during the review of the application and the decision-making process".

“Upon receipt of the final reports, the competent authority will review all documentation, including the specialist reports, comments received and responses thereto, and any other comments and objections received regarding the process,” department spokesman Peter Mbelengwa said.

It’s not clear if BirdLife SA is aware of the development and the threat to birds, including the vulnerable secretary bird and southern ground hornbill not mentioned in the report. Also not clear is which mitigation measures it would favour to safeguard the endangered birds mentioned in the report – the Cape vulture and bald ibis. DM

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Route of least resistance

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