Infighting among the residents living in mining communities has been blamed for the slow implementation of Social Labour Plans (SLP) that mining companies have to implement to ensure that infrastructure is developed and jobs are created to improve the living standards of the beneficiaries.
This is according to the Minerals and Energy Regulator’s North West regional manager Phumudzo Nethwadzi who was giving an update of the status of SLP implementation at the two day North West Mining and Energy Investment Conference on Friday, in Sun City, outside Rustenburg.
North West is a mineral rich province but remains largely impoverished with endless summits and conferences failing to provide solutions, Nethwadzi.
“Community groupings are often at loggerheads with each other and or with mining companies and these squabbles hinder development.
“Consultation with multiple stakeholders must be streamlined, particularly when it comes to organisations and the State, communities and other NGOs that may have vested interest in the implementation of the SLPs.
“There must be a streamlining of the consultation process, so that upfront, people agree in terms of the design and the concept and how the SLP shall be implemented,” said Nethwadzi.
The Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Nobuhle Nkabane said the North West Mining Investment Conference has been informative and insightful, adding that the delegates have managed to learn from each other.
Nkabane said they will take all challenges shared into consideration and improve where they lack and also highlighted that the energy sector has been transformed when it comes to gender equality.
Nkabane said about 72 000 women are already in the mining industry but they want the numbers to increase.
