Boys playing soccer at Makhado
Eastern view of Vele
Bursary launch
Mooiplaats underground
Bursary students
Corporate social responsibility
In terms of social and labour plans the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes will focus on the mine community where labour is drawn from. The main focus of CSR programmes is the provision of infrastructure and the eradication of poverty. CSR projects are identified by way of extensive interaction with the local municipalities and structures, and support normally takes the form of physical or social contributions, community capacity-building and governance.
Three projects have been identified in the region of Vele:
- A R56 million income generating agricultural job creation project in the Musina municipal area which will contribute to the essential oil industry. The project will include a skills and training programme, creation of a management structure and the gradual take-over of ownership;
- In the tourism and conservation sector a nursery and herbarium has been identified to take advantage of the unique biodiversity in the area, and is an opportunity to link with the Mapungubwe tourism initiatives. Employees will be exposed to the establishment of facilities, sourcing staff and equipment, market analysis and other training and development opportunities.
- An infrastructural water resource development project to mitigate the mine’s impact on the town’s capacity.
Having established criteria such as viability, sustainability, accrued benefits and job creation (as required by the DMR) Coal of Africa stands to invest significant funds into these economic development opportunities to promote the surrounding communities’ sustainability.
The King Toni Thovhele Mphephu Bursary Fund
Coal of Africa has established a bursary scheme to develop appropriate candidates, who, on graduation, will be afforded professional career paths in the company. This programme intends to address the critical skills shortage in the country, particularly in Limpopo province. Coal of Africa has already spent R8.6million educating 44 students from communities in Ermelo (Mpumalanga) and the Vhembe region in Venda (Limpopo) at various tertiary institutions since the launch of the fund in 2009. Students are monitored throughout the course of their studies to ensure maximum pass rates.
This is a comprehensive and attractive bursary scheme for the development of young, high-potential historically disadvantaged South African (HDSA) students in key disciplines such as mining; electrical, mechanical and processing engineering; surveying; geological and environmental sciences.The bursary criteria seeks to encourage gender balance – and currently just over 41% of the 2011 intake is female.
This investment not only ensures that the company has a pool of skilled resources for its own operations, but also contributes towards addressing the skills shortage in the country in general.