PARTNERSHIPS ARE KEY

It is no longer acceptable to expect communities to be satisfied with just corporate social investment projects in their areas. Communities around our operations are increasingly demanding more direct benefits from mining operations, including employment, supply and business development opportunities, infrastructural provision and, in some instances, equity or annuity stakes.

Ms Agnes Qwabe is an entrepreneur from Mathabatha community adjacent to Lebowa Mine. The mine has assisted her to develop a viable bakery from which the mine is likely to procure. Agnes also
runs a creche in her community.
 

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Anglo Platinum continues to play a meaningful role in community development. Guided by the mining charter, its social and labour plans and corporate citizenship principles, Anglo Platinum invested R176 million in community development projects around its operations in 2008.

The Group’s corporate social investment strategy is to play a constructive role in enhancing the quality of life in communities surrounding our operations, as well as in some regions from which members of the workforce are sourced.

Anglo Platinum continues to focus most of its corporate social investment activities in five areas:

• Infrastructure: contributing to the sustained improvement of physical infrastructure in underdeveloped areas.
• Education: supporting the development of quality education centres and improvements in mathematics, science and English-language teaching and learning at primary and secondary schools.
• Health and welfare: supporting initiatives geared at enhancing government’s delivery of primary healthcare and welfare services to the underprivileged sector.
• Community capacity-building: supporting initiatives to improve the skills of community members and their organisations.
• Small-, medium- and micro-enterprise development: supporting programmes intended to promote entrepreneurship in mine communities and labour-sending areas.

Full details of community development projects are provided in a document entitled ‘Partnership in Action’ available on our website.

CHAIRMAN’S FUND
Anglo Platinum provided R25 million in 2008 to the Group’s Chairman’s Fund. The fund has a long history of providing basic infrastructure, mainly classrooms, for schools in the more remote rural areas.

Developments in this programme have been beneficial partnerships forged with provincial departments of education. The joint resources of this public-private partnership have greatly enhanced the effectiveness of the state’s rural schools development programme.

Corporate social investment, R million

	SED programmes			Percentage
	2008	2007	2006	2008	2007	2006
Health and welfare	6.0	6.6	0.7	3.4	5	1
Arts, culture and sport	40.7	0.5	1.9	23.2	0.4	4
Infrastructural development	20.8	35.2	19.5	11.8	28	36
SMME development and capacity building	48.6	18.6	4.6	27.6	15	8
Education	34.7	17.1	12.0	19.7	13.6	22
Chairman’s Fund contribution	25.0	48.0	15.5	14.3	38	29
Total	175.8	126.0	54.2	100	100	100

 

AIDS AND GENDER EQUITY PROJECT

The Small Enterprise Foundation (SEF), providing rural women with access to small-scale loans (microfinance) to establish small businesses, partnered with Wits Medical School to create IMAGE Intervention for Microfinance and Gender Equity). Recognising that empowerment is about more than money, the project integrated Sisters for Life, a 10-part Gender and HIV Training Programme, into routine fortnightly loan repayment meetings. Over a period of six months, the participatory sessions encourage women to open up and discuss difficult issues such as gender roles and culture, sexuality, communication with partners and children, domestic violence and HIV. Following this training, loan centres elect members whom they feel are ‘natural leaders’. These women then lead their centres in sharing and applying what they learn with their families and communities. Anglo Platinum committed to a two-year process to extend the project from Burgersfort to Lebowakgomo. The current participants are 2,500 women from 45 villages between Burgersfort and Lebowakgomo, 2,100 of whom have completed the ‘Sisters for Life’ training. Training and microfinance have been initiated in a further 10 additional villages. IMAGE is also present in Selepe, Malomanye, Makgoba and Maruping; more than 2,000 clients are training in 50 new loan centres in Zebediela. The project has demonstrated the value of addressing the social and economic circumstances which give rise to STIs and HIV transmission; a study, published in The Lancet, found a 55% reduction in gender violence after two years of addressing complex issues such as poverty and gender inequalities.

 

WESTERN LIMB COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Business advisory linkage centres

The business advisory linkage centre at both the Rustenburg Local Municipality and the Moses Kotane Local Municipality (MKLM) provides tender advice, training and information services to local business. The emphasis is on assisting small businesses to become successful in their attempts to win both public- and private-sector tenders. It is vital that these facilities play a functional and meaningful role in empowering small businesses in Rustenburg.

EDUCATION

Strategic intent

Anglo Platinum’s intent is to contribute towards improvement in the provision of education in communities surrounding its operations, through the following:

• Supporting mathematics, science and technology programmes targeted at empowering educators.
• Providing support towards the development of mine schools and early-learning centres by supporting educators’ salaries.
• Supporting mathematics, science and technology programmes targeted at empowering learners.
• Providing education bursaries and scholarships to support learners in mathematics and science.

Categories of intervention areas

Early childhood development

This includes registered early childhood development centres (ECDs) within a 50 km radius of mining operations at Rustenburg, BRPM, Union, Amandelbult, Polokwane, Mokopane, Atok and Twickenham.

A needs analysis with ECDs has established that there is an enormous need for resources in all ECDs. The Department of Social Development, with whom they are registered below Grade R, assists with feeding grants.

Educator training and supply of resources

There is an enormous need for outdoor learning materials and for training on how to use them effectively. Materials fostering the physical development of the children as well as pre-mathematics and pre-reading skills were provided to 100 ECDs in North West, and 200 ECDs in Limpopo.

COMMUNITY HEALTH
CED has, in partnership with the Department of Health, contributed two mobile clinics for use in the areas that do not have health facilities, such as the informal settlements at our doorsteps and other, formal, areas. The department has provided the services of professional nurses and manages the roster and health programme, while Anglo Platinum assists with the maintenance of the mobile units.

PUBLIC OPEN DAY AT POLOKWANE METALLURGICAL COMPLEX

The Polokwane Metallurgical Complex maintained its strong, ongoing commitment to engaging with local communities during the 2008 financial year. This commitment underpins the operation’s strong desire to play a proactive role in facilitating social and economic development by building key partnerships with various stakeholders. The latter include local communities, non-governmental, organisations, local schools, and government departments at local and provincial levels. The Open Day, hosted at Nirvana Community Hall in Polokwane in 2008, enjoyed tremendous support from the management of the metallurgical complex, local chiefs, schools and corporate communications. Among the attendees were Kgosigadi Chuene; Kgosi Maja; members of the provincial economic development, environmental affairs and tourism departments; the media; staff members; and various schools around the smelter. The topics of exhibitions included caring for the environment, occupational health management, careers, the smelting process, wellness and the management of HIV and AIDS; and the role of the Eastern Bushveld Regional Laboratory in the mining value chain. The choir of the Siloe School for the Blind in Ga Chuene Village graced the occasion with music. Siloe School earlier in 2008 celebrated the handover of its brand-new sports grounds, partly funded by Anglo Platinum and ABSA. Anglo Platinum continues to focus most of its community engagement and development activities in surrounding villages. These include the University of Limpopo Mobile Science Centre Project, the Sentahle Community Home-based Care Project and the schools infrastructure projects. Among other things, the infrastructural work entailed: • the construction of two blocks of four classrooms at Benedict and Hope School for the handicapped;  • the construction of a block of classrooms and a science laboratory at Mahlogedi High School; • health and welfare: supporting initiatives geared towards enhancing government’s delivery of primary healthcare and welfare services to the underprivileged sector; and  • small-, medium- and micro-enterprise development: supporting programmes intended to promote entrepreneurship in smelter communities and labour-sending areas.      Various presentations were done by schools on the importance of conserving our environment by avoiding sulphur dioxide emissions, and water and soil pollution. The eye-catching slag project, earmarked for the future production of bricks from slag, was also exhibited at the event. The Open Day also gave local matriculants an opportunity to explore career and bursary opportunities within Anglo Platinum. Special thanks go to our staff, to the Municipality of Polokwane for providing us with the hall, and to the members of the community for making the event a tremendous success.

 

EASTERN LIMB COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The socio-economic priorities of both districts in the Eastern Limb include education and skills development, economic development, and health and sanitation. Anglo Platinum has focused its own initiatives in line with these district priorities.

The key interventions made by the Company are as follows:

Education

• Motlamotse Primary School: construction of classrooms.
• Moroka-Lebole Secondary School: construction of a science laboratory and renovation of classrooms.
• Lefakgomo Secondary School: construction of an administration block.
• Sefateng Community Crèche: construction of classrooms and ablution blocks.
• Ntwampe Secondary School: construction of classrooms.

Bulk-type infrastructure

• Selepe/Manotoane Village: village electrification.
• Rapholo Bridge: construction of bridge and upgrading of road D4180.
• Sefateng Bulk Water Supply: installation of a pipeline from Malomanye to Sefateng Village.
• Strydkraal Irrigation Scheme: revival and support of irrigation scheme.
• Kgwete water project: provision of an electrical pump, repair of the dam and construction of a new pipeline to the dam.
• Mampa and Phasha Makgalanoto: village electrification.
• Modimolle, Manjakane, Kgwete and Mashishi: construction of pipeline and dam, reticulation system and provision of storage tanks.

Community facilities

• Atok Multi-Purpose Community Centre: construction of the centre, comprising office blocks, a computer centre, meeting rooms, ablution blocks and fencing.
• Sefateng Community Hall: construction of the hall.
• Mecklenburg: A sports ground: construction.
• Mampa graveyard and sanitation: erection of fence and two enviroloo toilets.

Enterprise development

• Fanang Diatla Bakery: construction of community bakery.
• Aquaculture and Tunnel Farming Production Project: development and support of aquaculture business and co-operative.
• Seduma water project: development and support of aquaculture business and co-operative.