16 SEPTEMBER 2011
3
NUUS
Minister sends top DMR officials to Sekhukhune The Minister of Mineral Resources, Ms Susan Shabangu, MP, on Tuesday dispatched top departmental officials to the Greater Tubatse Municipality to meet with the local chiefs, members of the community as well as the mining industry operating in the area. This meeting was a follow-up to the visit of the minister to the area last year during which a number of concerns were raised including, among others: - Mines do not benefit local communities (no local employment, no learnership opportunities, no procurement and SMME opportunities for locals)
Mokutung gets signal Mokutung Village, near Echo Caves, celebrated their brand new cellphone tower and Vodacom signal last week Saturday. The vollagers slaughtered a cow and the event was attended by a large number of community members, the kgoshi from Kgautswane under which the village and local headman resort, Vodacom employees and marketing personnel, as well as
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representatives of the two schools in the village. Mr Ishmael Hlomane said on behalf of the cellphone company that the power of the internet in invaluable and connectivity has the potential to transform education and accelerate economic and job growth. Four of the company’s WebBoxes to the community in Mokutung. Webboxes such as those in Mokutung are designed to give communities basic internet access, comparable to that of a smartphone on a bigger screen. Two of the devices were donated on saturday to Kgaola Secondary School and one to the Mokutung Primary School. The other one found its way to the tribal office in Kgautswane. The base station only provides a Vodacom service, (GPRS and Edge, no 3G).
- Water and environmental pollution by some mines, caused by blasting - Lack of proper consultation and structures to engage properly with affected communities - Divisions within communities, which stifles development - The need for an Integrated Development Trust to drive development in Sekhukhune. Officials led by the Deputy Director General: Mineral Regulations, Mr Joel Raphela, met magoshi earlier Tuesday and they are also met leaders of the mining industry based in the area. One of the main decisions of the meeting with the community and the magoshi was that a workshop regarding mining issues will be arranged very soon which will also be attended by other relevant stakeholders including provincial and local government. The head of the delegation will brief the Minister after which the latter will visit the area as soon as her diary allows her to do so.