‘Employ locals’ - community tells Platreef

Employment of local labour was one of the main concerns raised by members of the various affected communities that attended Platreef's public participation meeting at Mmadikana Staduim outside Mokopane on Sunday.
The meeting was held as as part of Platreef Resources’ mining application process. “We have found a lot of platinum in Mogong  just outside Mokopane and on 6 June we submitted a [mining] application to the department of mineral resources. Once it is approved we will start building the mine and digging for resources,” Jimmy Mnisi from Digby Wells Environmental Consultants told delegates.
Digby Wells is the consultancy firm appointed by Platreef as the independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) to manage the required environmental, regulatory and public participation processes.
Platreef’s Barbara Wessels told delegates about 2000 people are to be employed once the planned mine reaches full production and that Platreef has developed a social and labour plan to address the sustainable local economic development of the communities.
Delegates, however, remained sceptical. “I am from Mogong and all we see are foreigners working with the mines during these testing periods,” said one delegate.
“They have hired over 200 people and the people of Magong aren’t event more than twenty. Please let us work together and stop trying to cheat us,” he continued and insisted that Platreef first pays attention to training and education facilities so that locals can have the necessary skills to be employed at the mine.
Platreef indicated that it is planing a trai-ning centre so that people can have the necessary skills and certificates when the company starts recruiting.
But Raseja Rakhubela was not satisfied. “What skills set are they going to give the people?” he wanted to know. “We are tired of outsiders coming here because the people from Mokopane are lacking in terms of education.”
Charles Mothumedi in turn, wanted to know whether there would be any benefits for the communities in terms of shares in the proposed mine.
Platreef’s Jacob Mtsowaledi explained that Platreef had already proposed at a previous meeting that every community sets up a trust and appoint a board of trustees to manage shares and money handed to the communities. “ [Platreef’s] board members are still in talks as to how many shares to distribute,” he said.
A meeting with Mokopane’s business chamber is also scheduled with delegates from Platreef for Thursday 22 August at the Park Hotel. See elsewhere in this issue for more details.