Relocated families and local residents of farms bordering State-owned power utility Eskom’s newly constructed Ingula hydroelectric power scheme have been left in the dark about how the power utility plans to develop the area.

In particular, the residents have concerns regarding how Eskom plans to manage farms acquired in the highly sensitive grasslands and critical catchment area of the upper Wilge river course.

Landowner representative and member of the Skeurklip Conservancy John Bristow says, ever since Eskom undertook the relocation of several families out of the area around the Bedford dam to some of the 11 farms acquired by the utility, consultation on development plans for the community and relocated families has been lacking.

He notes that Eskom is not a development agency, but says the utility has an obligation to spur sustainability in the area, owing to the disruption it has caused by relocating families from the upper dam site and changing the environment with the construction of dams. Bristow also says Eskom made several commitments to ensuring development takes place to empower affected communities and not damage the environment.

He says various meetings and forums were promised by Eskom, where the utility would engage with local farmers and the relocated families regarding its plans and for members of the community to provide input.

Educational programmes are urgently required for the local underprivileged community to educate them about operating a farm, poaching issues, seasonal demands of the area and maintaining local infrastructure, such as roads and schools. Unseasonal burning of vegetation is also rife and causes habitat destruction and erosion, while the removal of indigenous plants is also degrading the environment.

In 2009 and 2013, Eskom admitted to being aware of high-intensity poaching and illegal plant harvesting in the area. But Bristow says not much has been done to curb these activities, which are increasing.

He notes that the families who once resided in the current conservation area around the Bedford dam have simply been moved onto newly acquired farms, and nothing has been done by Eskom to ensure these families have the appropriate skills to further develop their land in a sustainable manner.

Bristow adds that several issues were prevalent in the area prior to moving the families, such as rampant poaching, the removal of sensitive plants and poor skills in handling the unique grasslands and the low stock-carrying capacity of the farmland in the Free State area. There are also negative impacts on the critical wetlands and headwaters of the Wilge river, which is a key feeder to the Vaal dam. “Eskom has just moved the problem, instead of implementing plans to enhance the community and ensure sustainable development outside the conservation area, which is run by independent agencies, such as Birdlife South Africa and the Middlepunt Wetland Trust.”

A 2009 proposal by Eskom to open a skills development centre never materialised, he points out. This centre was supposed to train 1 000 local residents in aspects of construction and basic life skills.

“All we want is for open communication from Eskom and the community. Various members of the community can provide valuable advice on area-specific matters for both Eskom and other members of the community,” says Bristow, adding that the Bristow family has owned its farm since 1947, having learned a lot from working the land during the years.

However, Bristow points out that he, as many other members of the community did, “fully supported” the Ingula hydroelectric power facility, the construction of houses for local families and the development of the conservation area near the Bedford dam.

In the early 2000s, when the Ingula project was first proposed, he says, there was proactive consultation with Eskom regarding the community’s concerns. This meeting was arranged by the local community, with Eskom being invited to participate. Subsequently, he says, many unfulfilled promises by Eskom, and its lack of consultation and disregard for landowners and community members in the upper Wilge River headwaters, have become untenable.

“We were promised a development plan for our area in January, but it never materialised,” he says, adding that, since then, there has been no communication with the community from Eskom regarding the overall development plan for the area. “We get the feeling that Eskom is trying to hide something from us.”