About a thousand residents of Madibeng Community in the North West who live near one of the biggest chrome mines in Brits, Samancor, yesterday handed over a memorandum of demands at the mine’s head offices in Sandton.
The residents are demanding that the company stop its corruption tendency and start hiring locals and also invest in the development of their area in line with the company’s Social Labour Plans.
Police and Johannesburg Metropolitan Department officers kept the residents in line as at times they were agitated and threatened people who work in the office park they marched to.
“We are here because we want change in the area we stay in. There is a lot of corruption when the companies hire because they hire people we don’t know and we don’t know where they come from,” said one man who refused to give his name.
“That must come to an end because there are many people in our area who have graduated from tertiary institutions but they are not employed. How is this fair when the very place they stay is surrounded by mines?” he asked.
Obakeng Seleka, a qualified boilermaker, said he has been looking for a job for too long and he gave up and he ended up opening up a car wash.
“I have about four years looking for a job. I had to open a car wash to at least do something to feed myself because I have been trying different mines but it’s not happening,” he said.
Vincent Motaung said mines in the area need to benefit local business owners.
“If you look at the people staying in Madibeng and surrounding areas they are struggling but the mine owners are pocketing millions every month. We are here to say they must develop our people,” he said.
The march organisers – the Madibeng Woman in Business – Nolwazi Serero called for mining companies to develop women specifically in line with the Mining Charter.
“According to the Mining Charter women should be upskilled to participate in the mines and provide services. According to the charter 15% of service providers need to be women and I am sure they haven’t reached that. Let’s have a gender budget and gender program.
“It’s frustrating that most women are not in Mining Engineering, they are only getting cleaning and garden jobs that should change.”
Samancor Head of Transformation Jomo Kwadi said that they will study the memorandum before responding to the residents’ demands in seven days.
“We are going to study the memorandum and give feedback to you in seven days. That’s all I can say for now more will be said when we give feedback.”
