New Town development plan saw the light years ago

SECUNDA – The new town development is in progress around the Mpumalanga Guest House and the former Winkelhaak Mine offices.

Harmony Mines previously, and now Pan African Mining, suspended all mining operations in the “Secunda West” area.

The areas under township establishment are currently taken up by the prior Winkelhaak main offices, Winkelhaak Hostel, single and married quarters, the mine hospital and some industrial and commercial uses.

Pan African Mining disposed the land to Permanent Products Close Corporation who has decided to proceed with township establishment applications to bring the existing land uses in line with the Govan Mbeki Municipality Land Use Scheme and to create separate cadastral entities (erven) over the various components of the current development.

The approved Township Establishment applications are being submitted in terms of the provisions of Section 96 of the Town Planning and Townships Ordinance, 1986, and development is based on the approved Harmony Mining Conditions of Establishment of which Govan Mbeki Municipality already has approved.

The proposed development of Permanent Products is based on the said Conditions of Establishment between Harmony and Govan Mbeki Municipality.

According to Mr Albert Olivier, retired Deputy Director Panning of the GMM and now consultant on this project, back then Sasol paid for a development plan and Harmony made land available west of Secunda around the Winkelhaak Mines.

The Integrated Human Settlement plan indicated a potential of accommodating 17 000 units.

Govan Mbeki Municipality and Harmony continued with their Urban Design Study.

They formed a technical team to compile an Integrated Human Settlement Plan for the area west of Secunda. Harmony had already developed nfrastructure services on the land, which make planning easier.

The development was planned in phases, with the first and second phases being the area and buildings at the old mine offices and hostel.

The company, Permanent Products, seized this chance to buy Ext 50 off Harmony Mining for the development of the Mpumalanga Guest House.

Negotiations evolved to also include Ext 50 and 51 in the 720 hectare New Town Estate development plan.

The sales contract for the said area has been finalised and the transfer of land is currently in process.

The intended developable land abuts the Secunda/eMbalenhle –, Secunda/Evander- and Evander / eMbalenhle roads and the newly governmental proposed industrial development zone.

This area can accommodate all categories of residential development and required amenities included the proposed Mpumalanga Satellite University, required schools and a hospital.

It is ideally situated for the development of a governmental service node, regional retailers and a truck stop.

Permanent Products’ aim for the development is based on the said Urban Design Study between Harmony and GMM which will as far as possible apply within the 720 hectares of developable land.

The Market Study was done and the urban design for this area focus on five LSM income groups. Permanent Products hope to accommodate the lower and middle income groups.

This is the biggest gap in the market is the one for people with an annual income between nil and R500 000 of which at the moment will be rental units with later on privately owned land.

The availability of bulk infrastructure makes it more viable to develop the area. Bulk water is currently obtained from the Rand Water pipeline situated about 2km to the east of the site, via the Pan African Mining network.

Sewage from the site is transported via the Pan African Mining sewer outfall line to the Evander Waste Water Treatment Works about 2km northeast of it.

Electricity is obtained from Eskom via the Pan African Mining network.

Mr Olivier, who is a consultant for Permanent Products, said the company intends to involve other developers to work on the construction and development of the said area.

Permanent Products do not want to develop the entire area alone and invite other developers to join in this exciting Integrated Human Settlement project.

For more information, contact Mr Frikkie van Zyl, Technical Director at Permanent Products, at 017 632 2119 / 082 557 2065.

https://www.citizen.co.za/ridge-times/123014/a-new-town-is-in-the-pipeline-between-embalenhle-and-secunda/