At Anglo American, we believe that a new mine can mean a new start for a community. Because wherever we operate, we focus on uplifting the area by improving employment, healthcare, education and skills development.
One such community is Postmasburg, a town in the North West province. Kumba Iron Ore, a business unit of Anglo American, has recently opened Kolomela Mine. This mine was successfully commissioned at the end of 2011, and is set to produce up to nine million tonnes of ore per year over a 28-year period.
Although Postmasburg has rich ore deposits, it is an area with a high unemployment rate. Kolomela Mine will go a long way to alleviating the situation by creating over 800 new and sustainable jobs. And in order to ensure our people have decent living conditions, we are building 718 houses for our employees and their families.
However, the life of a mine is as important as the legacy it will leave behind. So once our people’s immediate needs have been met, we focus further afield. This means partnering with the South African government at a local level to assess Postmasburg and its requirements.
Because the current healthcare services and infrastructure are not adequate, we have committed an initial R11 million towards developing primary healthcare facilities. These will include an HIV/AIDS clinic and also mobile healthcare units, which will serve rural communities.
Another important area for community development is education. In fact, the main contributor to unemployment in the area is due to a lack of basic education. To this end, we have dedicated over R17 million to provide two new Grade R facilities, in line with the local Department of Education’s schools integration policy. The investment will also be used to offer information communication technology (ICT) at all local high schools.
But it is not only the next generation who will benefit. Adult Basic Education Training (ABET) facilities will be made available to adults within the community.
And because it is often not enough to have a qualification, we aim to improve skills development. Our Community Skills Centre will allow school leavers the opportunity to gain valuable practical skills and experience in bricklaying, masonry, carpentry and welding, among others.
Kolomela Mine, an R8.5 billion development, will help make Postmasburg an even better place to live. Through partnerships with local government and the people of Postmasburg, we will be at the forefront of community development in South Africa.
