Good to see SIOC-cdt getting some high profile recognition for their community development work:
DEPUTY MINISTER COMMENDS SIOC-CDT TRUST
APRIL 4, 2012
A well attended address by the Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources Mr Godfrey Oliphant, organised by the Department of Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) at El Dorado hotel in Kuruman, enlightened many stakeholders on various issues pertaining to infrastructural development, particularly in the mining sector. He touched on all economic spheres and their catalytic derivatives pertaining to his department. The Minister reiterated the five geographically centred infrastructural projects that government is to pursue on a vigorous note to expedite, among other things, the smooth flow of trade both nationally and with the external markets.
He said that there is need to incorporate the rail, road and water infrastructure in the mineral affluent Limpopo province to harness production to the fullest. The development of the Durban-Free State-Gauteng and industrial sector logistics to improve movements of goods in which a 7-year R 300-billion project to build a rail and port is envisaged to further perfect the current state of affairs. A new South Eastern node to catalyse the industrial and agrarian development and export capacity of the Eastern Cape province is in the pipeline. The network system will also be a booster to link the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal in an endeavour to capacitate industry. The expansion of the roll-out of water, roads, rail and electricity infrastructure in the North West province is also being prioritised to smoothen existing economic activities as well as the develop-ment of the North-South road and rail corridor as part of the African Union’s Presidential Infrastruc-ture Championing Initiative.
In an open plenary session, the Deputy Minister touched on various issues of his department. The visible positive contribution done by Kumba through its Trust SIOC-cdt to the communities within its precincts was one tangible example he said other mining companies should be emulating. The 3% fund contribution by the mining giant has transformed communities in a big way.
On the procurement onslaught, the Minister said that the topic needs special attention and either he or delegated officials must address the contentious topic raised mainly by locals. He emphasised that locals must not only be good at raising complaints, but should be main players in the open market system. He said skills are a determining factor and locals must harness the necessary expertise to contest in the procurement processes.
The Minister was also touched by the Asbestos Community’s thorny issue and was to seek audience on the following morning with the relevant authorities in the matter, to find out a buoyant and plausible way to its end. He said apart from compensation, health for a mine worker must come first, hence new laws are prioritised in the mining sector.
