Middelvlei (E 9)

Name: Middelvlei

Randfontein

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Project Middelvlei

Township plan showing Project Middelvlei,
Phase 1 (PDF – 225KB)
Harmony has contributed to a vibrant, profitable, safe and environment-friendly mining industry in South Africa with a R1,7 billion Sustainable Integrated Human Settlement (SIHS) initiative.

Graham Briggs, chief executive officer of Harmony says, “This is seen as a flagship project by the Department of Housing and Harmony and is receiving the highest priority. We have made certain commitments in the Mining Social and Labour Programmes (SLP) to participate and facilitate housing development in order to provide affordable homes that the mining and general community can purchase. This project is the first commitment of its kind.”

The first part of a larger development will be the Droogeheuvel and Middelvlei Project, comprising around 400 Ha of land owned by Randfontein Estates Ltd, a subsidiary of Harmony. The larger project encompasses 1 990 Ha of land, including privately owned land in the Droogeheuvel, Middlevlei and Westonaria South areas.

The vision is to establish an integrated and sustainable settlement within the parameters of the National Department of Housing’s "Breaking New Ground" policy (BNG). The key players in this development are:

•Harmony Gold Mining Company as land owner
•Absa, major bank and funder of the project - particularly the non-subsidised housing sector
•The Gauteng Department of Housing, project initiator and funder of the subsidised housing component
•The Randfontein Local and West Rand District Municipalities
•Powerhouse Consortium, project management, planning and design services
•Absa Development Company as the implementing agent for the Joint Venture
The initiative arose from the Bekkersdal Renewal Project in which a need was identified to relocate the section of the Bekkersdal community currently living in informal settlements on dolomitic land. Residents of other informal settlements in the Randfontein and Westonaria Local Municipal areas may also be considered for the project in the future.

SIHS is about progressive housing delivery, with the development of mixed-income, densities, typologies and race in a single community and the addressing of space inequities of Gauteng. Ultimately around 6 000 bonded and semi-bonded housing units will occupy the Middelvlei and Droogeheuwel project areas.

A joint venture is being concluded with Harmony holding 25% and Absa the remaining 75% share. Independently valued, the land carries a price tag of R46,6 million and comprises Harmony’s 25% equity injection.

Briggs says that Harmony does not want to be a developer, but has undertaken to form joint ventures with reputable developers to execute its commitment. "Harmony will actively embark on a facilitation process to ensure that available land is developed as part of the BNG concept, where integrated and sustainable townships are created."

Because home ownership forms the basis of wealth creation in any community, Harmony is actively encouraging it as a way of facilitating the generation of wealth and stability for its work force and their families, and the community in general.

The development company Absa DevCo specialises in countrywide township development and the sale of residential, commercial and industrial land. It is also the developer of Olievenhoutbosch, south-west of Pretoria, as well as other similar developments countrywide.

“Absa brings specialist skills, experience and social responsibility to the initiative, ensuring that the properties are optimally developed in accordance with our collective planned strategy,” says Briggs.

This project will service the greater Doornkop and Randfontein Mine areas and is Harmony’s first venture into this type of development. The town planners on the project are the designers of Cosmo City, which is seen as the first successful example of the SIHS and a model on which other developments can be based on.

Subsidised ownership housing will consist mainly of semi detached units, but will also include some row houses and cluster units for variety. Dwellings will be larger than the standard RDP units (42m²), with better finishes and various other improvements. The non-subsidised ownership homes will be detached units in a variety of sizes and designs, provided by private housing developers and contractors.

The rental units will be walk-up apartments adjacent to the business and transportation nodes. Surfaced roads will connect all areas of the development and trees will be planted along the major arterials and in public open spaces. Around R200-million has been set aside for community facilities like schools and transport nodes, which will be completed at the same time as the housing.

The estimated cost of the project is around R1,2 billion. Implemented over a 10 year period, the first subsidised units will become available early in 2009 and the first bonded/non-subsidised units during the first half of 2010.

“This is more than a commitment to the Mining Charter,” says Briggs. “This is another commitment to Harmony’s people and those who live in the adjacent communities in which we operate.”


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