Nkwe Platinum hosted a ceremony today to hand over its Social and Labour Plan (SLP) Water Supply Projects to the Sekhukhune District Municipality.
The event that marks the completion of Nkwe Platinum Limited’s SLP water supply projects within its mining communities of Garatouw, Maandagshoek, De Kom and Hoepakrantz, which fall under the Makhuduthamaga and the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipalities.
The projects were initiated by Nkwe Platinum Limited to provide access to clean and safe drinking water to communities and livestock surrounding the Zijin Garatau Platinum Mine. A total of 31 boreholes were drilled and/or equipped for the water supply projects across all four of the Mine’s communities (Garatouw, Maandagshoek, De Kom and Hoepakrantz) and 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 Limited’s SLP water supply projects support 1742 households within the communities with 320 000 litres of water resources per day and have created a total of 72 job opportunities for members of these communities.
The water supply projects include the Mine’s first solar-powered water supply system for the Ga Mpuru Village in the Garatau community. The pumps of the solar-powered water supply system are powered by a complete solar system. In addition to providing round the clock water for the members of the community, the solar system also powers a security electric fence for the water supply infrastructure, making it a self-sustaining unit. This signature water supply system of Nkwe Platinum Limited pumps over 55,000 litres (continuous flow) of clean water from a pipeline which spans over 2 kilometres within the community.
“The company strongly adheres to the co-development belief of “Mining for a Better Society” and believe that the development of enterprises is closely related to the sustainable development of our 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,’ says Mr. Zhiyu Fan, MD and CEO of Nkwe Platinum Limited.
Executive Mayor of the Sekhukhune District Municipality, Maleke Mokganyetji says, “It is not uncommon for the government and the businesspeople to fight over the implementation of the Social Labour Plans. But today we have gathered here because Nkwe Platinum Limited have, out of their own volition, initiated water projects to supply water to our own communities in line with their vision of ‘Mining for a Better Society’. The initiative is a blessing on our part as the Water Authority. We are really humbled because we have gathered here today to celebrate, not deal, with our daily challenges of water shortage in our communities. The project is indeed a silver lining that will propel other mines to implement their social labour plans for the benefit of our communities.”
To date, Nkwe Platinum Limited has spent R53 million on its Social and Labour Plan. The investment included 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 mine communities of the Zijin Garatau Platinum Mine.
Community empowerments initiatives, undertaken by Nkwe Platinum, has also included contracts awarded to communities and local businesses, such as R7.6 million for the site preparation work for the box cut in 2021, and approximately R36 million of crushers material supply; tipper truck and diesel supply as well as various other projects in 2022.
