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Grave Relocation Services for Mines and Developers

Permits in hand before your machines arrive. Families consulted with dignity. No stop-work orders.

When graves stand in the way of a mine, road, power line or development, G&A Heritage manages the entire relocation — from the first survey to the final reburial report. We have relocated graves for mining houses and developers across southern Africa, including more than 600 graves at Koffiefontein Mine.

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When graves stand in the way of a mine, road, power line or development, G&A Heritage manages the entire relocation, from the first survey to the final reburial report. We have relocated graves for mining houses and developers across southern Africa, including the recovery of more than 300 individuals from historic mass graves at Koffiefontein Mine.

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ASAPA Principal Investigator accreditation (No. 42) · BA Hons Archaeology (University of Pretoria) · SAHRA and Amafa permit experience · Projects in [8] countries

The law and the people

Why graves need specialist handling

Graves older than 60 years outside a formal cemetery are protected under section 36 of the National Heritage Resources Act. They cannot be disturbed without a permit from SAHRA or the provincial heritage authority. Younger graves require separate permission from provincial health authorities and the local municipality.

The legal process is only half of it. Graves belong to families and communities. When consultation is rushed or handled insensitively, projects face objections, blockades and costly delays. Doing it properly the first time is always cheaper.

Our turnkey process

G&A Heritage team exhuming historic graves at Koffiefontein Mine, Free State
How we work

Our turnkey process

Ground-penetrating radar survey for unmarked graves
3D scan of a skeleton recorded in situ during a grave relocation
  1. Grave survey and recording. We locate, map and document every grave with GPS coordinates, photographs, measurements and inscriptions, including unmarked graves. Where appropriate we use 3D scanning to create a permanent record. We have our own ground penetrating radar equipment from Sensors and Software and regularly use the Noggin 250mhz antenna on Smartcart for locating likely burial areas. 
  2. Avoidance options. Before recommending relocation, we look at whether graves can be fenced and bypassed with a minor design change. This is often faster and cheaper.
  3. Social consultation and next-of-kin tracing. Our team traces families, works with traditional leaders and community structures, and records every meeting and agreement. We also handle negotiations around ceremonial and wake costs.
  4. Public notices. We manage the statutory site and newspaper notices, which run for 60 days.
  1. Permits. We compile and lodge applications with SAHRA or the provincial heritage authority and obtain health and municipal permissions for younger graves.
  2. Exhumation. Exhumations are carried out under the supervision of an accredited archaeologist, with families able to attend and hold ceremonies. Every set of remains is recorded and handled with dignity.
  3. Reburial and memorialisation. Remains are reburied at the agreed cemetery, with new headstones or markers as agreed with families.
  4. Close-out reporting. A final report documents each grave from original location to reburial, for the heritage authority, your records and, where required, your lenders.
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Timelines

How long does it take?

For a straightforward project, allow at least four to six months from survey to reburial; the 60-day notice period alone sets a minimum. Projects with hundreds of graves, many families or disputed land can take a year or more.

The most common cause of delay is starting too late. Bring us in at EIA or mining right stage and graves will not hold up construction.

Clients

Who we work with

  • ining houses — pit, dump and tailings expansions, new shafts, haul roads and closure planning
  • Environmental consultants (EAPs) — specialist studies and mitigation for EIAs and mining right applications
  • Energy and transmission developers — graves along power line and substation corridors
  • Infrastructure and property developers — roads, dams, housing and commercial developments
  • Resettlement and ESIA consultancies — graves within Resettlement Action Plans
Across Africa

Cross-border projects and lender standards

We have worked in Mozambique, the DRC, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Angola, Tanzania, Burundi and the UAE. For projects financed by international lenders, we manage graves and cultural heritage to IFC Performance Standard 8, alongside the resettlement requirements of Performance Standard 5 — not only national permit requirements.

Why us

Why G&A Heritage

  • Accredited and accountable. Every project is directed by an ASAPA-accredited Site Director who signs off the work and stands behind the reports.
  • Proven at scale. More than 600 graves relocated at Koffiefontein Mine. [Add one or two more projects with grave numbers if clients allow.]
  • One team, start to finish. Survey, consultation, permits, exhumation, reburial and reporting under one contract — no gaps between subcontractors.
  • Reports authorities accept. Our documentation is prepared to SAHRA’s requirements to avoid rejected applications and repeat submissions.
  • Scientific partners. We collaborate with researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Pretoria, including osteological and DNA analysis where identification is needed.
  • Based in Limpopo, working across Africa. From our base in Louis Trichardt we can mobilise quickly to projects in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West and beyond. [Confirm typical mobilisation time, e.g. within 7 days.]
Grave exhumations in the tailings at Koffiefontein Mine
Grave exhumations at Koffiefontein
Featured project

Koffiefontein Mine

The Koffiefontein Diamond mine run by Petra Diamonds and previously operated by De Beers Mining has been a significant mine operation in the Freestate for the last 150 years. The open-cast pit represents one of the largest man-made features in the Freestate and is only surpassed in size by Jaegersfontein Mine (Kimberley pit is smaller but represents the largest hand-excavated cavity).

During the early years of the mine an enteric disease caused an epidemic of deaths on the mine. Fatalities occurred so quickly that the mine management could not keep up with proper burials and an estimated 600 people were eventually buried in mass graves in the tailings of the mine.

When the decision was made to enlarge the open-cast pit and re-mine these tailings it became essential to identify and relocate these remains. The social consultation and re-identification of these graves took G&A Heritage two years after which the first exhumations could be performed. Next-of-kin identification was exceedingly difficult due to most of the workers being migrant workers, often from neighboring countries.

Eventually over three hundred individuals were exhumed. Working together with the Wits University Department of Anatomy these remains were anlysed, scanned and documented to determine age, race and cause of death. The mine has since been subject to closure due to the enduring low diamond price, however it is anticipated that the new owners will proceed with the project in due course.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do we need a permit to move graves on our site?

Yes. Graves older than 60 years need a permit from SAHRA or the provincial heritage authority under the National Heritage Resources Act. Younger graves need permission from the provincial health department and the local municipality. Unmarked graves of unknown age should be treated as protected until assessed.

How much does a grave relocation cost?

Cost depends mainly on the number of graves, how many families must be traced, site access, and the reburial arrangements agreed. After a site assessment we give a fixed price per grave and a total project budget, so there are no surprises.

Can graves be left in place instead?

Often, yes. Fencing and buffering a grave site and adjusting the layout can be the fastest and cheapest option. We always assess avoidance before recommending relocation.

What happens if graves are found during construction?

Work in that area must stop and the heritage authority must be notified. We can mobilise quickly to assess the find, secure the site and start the permit process, keeping the stoppage as short as possible.

Do families have to agree?

The heritage authority must be satisfied that genuine efforts were made to contact and reach agreement with families and communities with an interest in the graves. In practice, a well-run consultation process is what makes a relocation succeed.

Do you work outside South Africa?

Yes. We have worked across southern, central and east Africa and can manage graves to international lender standards such as IFC Performance Standard 8.

Planning a project with graves on site?

Tell us where your project is, roughly how many graves are involved, and when you need the land cleared. We will respond within 48 hours with next steps and an indicative budget.

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Stephan Gaigher · Principal Investigator · 073 752 6583 · stephan@gaheritage.co.za