African Mining January 2022 | Page 31

SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY •

All images : Exxaro

Exxaro mining manager Musa Mabasa ( centre ) hands over ESD buildings to NDM executive mayor Cllr Thembi Masilela ( left ) and ELM executive mayor Cllr Linah Malatjie .

The second build is the Ga-Nala Sports Field , which was upgraded and renovated to provide a safe training facility for the community , equipped with changing rooms , bathrooms , new goal posts and installed fencing and gates for security . More than R2.3-million was spent on the upgrade , with 34 temporary job opportunities created for the local community of Ga-Nala .

In December 2020 , Exxaro handed over keys to 143 community members to take ownership of their brand-new resettlement homes in Botleng , 15km from Rietkuil , in Mpumalanga . appliances to each household in February 2021 and at the end of March 2021 each family also received a food parcel at Easter .

Mangaliso Sethethi , Business Unit Manager at Leeuwpan mine said : “ As a BU , our journey with this community is continuing and we are managing the livelihoods and restoration programme to ensure that the community is settled and well-integrated into their new environment in Botleng .” ‐ . •

The project affected a farm called Rietkuil , where a small community of 143 people had been living in 20 separate households . The resettlement project was initiated following extensive consultations with the community . Exxaro bought stands nearby in order to ensure that the sense of community among the people of Rietkuil would be carried over to Botleng .

There was much to celebrate . For five years the Leeuwpan Mine Rietkuil Resettlement Project has been hard at work , having to overcome many obstacles and Covid-19 challenges to ensure the completion of the homes in time for Christmas . When lockdown hit in March 2020 , the construction on the houses had to be put on hold . So , the Leeuwpan mine , in collaboration with the Victor Khanye Local Municipality ( VKLM ), started distributing food parcels to the Rietkuil families in May 2020 . As the Covid-19 regulations on construction projects lifted , the housing project resumed in July 2020 .

Exxaro has done great work in implementing community development projects in their areas of operation .

In keeping with Exxaro ’ s commitment to local economic development , Leeuwpan mine appointed five local companies to construct the houses and another to do the earthworks on the resettlements . All these businesses were instructed to employ local staff and provide certified training for their employees . A total of 386 jobs were created during the project , including other subcontractor opportunities such as rubble removal , painting , landscaping , and fencing .

To ensure the families settle easily into their new homes , Exxaro will be covering the costs of the municipal services for all households for the first five years . In addition , Leeuwpan mine also delivered kitchen

Ribbon cutting at Ga Nala sports fields .