NKWE Platinum Limited has spent R53 million ($2,675 million) in a community empowerment initiative in South Africa’s northernmost Limpopo province.
Initiatives include contracts awarded to communities and local businesses, such as R7,6 million for the site preparation work for the box cut in 2021, and R36 million of crushers material supply, tipper truck and diesel supply as well as various other projects in 2022.
There is also the upgrading of the Garatau Community Access Road, as well as adult training and education, bursaries, learnerships, internships, traditional leadership training and excavator operations,
which have benefited the surrounding communities of the Zijin Garatau Platinum Mine.
Figures were disclosed as Nkwe Platinum hosted a ceremony to hand over its Social and Labour Plan (SLP) Water Supply Projects to the Sekhukhune District Municipality. The event marked the completion of Nkwe Platinum’s SLP water supply projects within its mining communities of De Kom, Garatouw, Hoepakrantz and Maandagshoek. These fall under the Fetakgomo-Tubatse and Makhuduthamaga local municipalities.
Nkwe Platinum initiated the projects to provide access to clean and safe drinking water to communities and livestock surrounding the Zijin Garatau. A total of 31 boreholes were drilled and equipped for the water supply projects.
They were supported by the installation of 52 Jojo water tanks. This clean water supply is distributed to the communities via 92 water taps which are stationed at various strategic points to cater for both the
community and livestock.
Nkwe Platinum water supply projects support 1 742 households within the communities with 320 000 litres of water resources daily and have created a total of 72 job opportunities for members of these
communities. The projects include the mine’s first solar-powered water supply system
for the Ga Mpuru Village in the Garatau community.
This signature system pumps over 55 000 litres (continuous flow) of clean water from a pipeline which spans over 2 kilometres within the community. Zhiyu Fan, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nkwe Platinum, said the company strongly adhered to the co-development belief of “Mining for a Better Society.”
The company believes the development of enterprises was closely related to the sustainable development of its surrounding communities.
“Through education, industrial support, infrastructure construction and joint projects, it is committed to developing and working together in a mutually beneficial and harmonious way for the benefit of all,” Fan
said.
Nkwe Platinum is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zijin Mining, the Chinese multinational group dedicated to exploration and development of gold, copper and other mineral resources globally. When fully operational, Zijin Garatau, an investment of R10 billion is set to employ 2 500 people and produce 300 000 tonnes of platinum per month.
The event was graced by paramount chief of Sekhukhune, Her Majesty, Queen Mother, Manyaku Thulare, Sekhukhune District executive mayor, Clr Maleke Mokganyetji, Nkwe Platinum executive Lijuan Yin, among other dignitaries.
– CAJ News
