The Bakubung Platinum Mine and Bakubung Ba Ratheo Community Committee, have signed a socio-economic agreement on Thursday at Kedar Lodge near Rustenburg, North West, to create more job opportunities for the residents of Ledig Village.
Residents have in the past held several protests, accusing the mine of failing to adhere to its Social Labour Plans and most importantly, not creating business and job opportunities for the locals.
The unrest led to engagements which resulted in the establishment of a 4Aside plus one committee, to develop a program that will address challenges and the dispute between Bakubung Ba Ratheo Community and Bakubung Platinum Mine.
The committee developed a working Action Plan that identified challenges and how to resolve them.
The parties held a signing of the action plan document ceremony at Kedar Lodge outside Rustenburg to show that they have agreed to collaborate.
Bakubung Platinum Mine Manager Stakeholder Relations and Projects, Tertius Chiloane, said they have committed to prioritising locals for more job opportunities and in the development of its host community.
“We need to provide more skills for the mine to avoid recruiting from outside in regard to saying the area lacks certain skills. We are building a relationship that will help bring possible and positive outcomes,” said Chiloane.
The spokesman of Bakubung Ba Ratheo Office of the Chief Disele Phologane said they want to ensure that challenges such as road infrastructure, building of schools and clinics, lack of water, employment and business opportunities were a priority.
“The action plan document seeks to find solutions to these problems and ensure that the people benefit from the mine.
“The plan document consists of short and long term goals that will lead us and the mine to assist in the development of Bakubung Ba Ratheo Community,” said Phologane.
Vusi Nkosi, Chairman of the Bakubung Internal Stakeholder said they will review the action plan in three months, as they want to ensure that the implementation is done.
“A lot of things haven’t been done right in the past. We are hoping that from this engagement and going forward a lot of things will change. Vusi said the mine should be contributing more into building and developing the area.”
