De Beers Voorspoed Mine, in partnership with Ngwathe Local Municipality and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, unveiled a R2.2 million newly- renovated and furnished water testing laboratory at the Parys Water Purification Plant on Wednesday, 22 September. The handover of the laboratory is part of the mine’s social and labour plan efforts to support the municipality with its integrated development plan (IDP) projects. It will play a vital role in water quality testing to ensure safer and cleaner water for the community of Parys, the Ngwathe Municipality said. During the handover, Ngwathe Local Municipality’s executive mayor, Ms Joey Mochela said one of the common denominators of their service delivery protests was water and sanitation. She further indicated that, to date, Parys and Tumahole both have 98 Jojo tanks, four pump stations, four reservoirs, one water treatment plant and a borehole. “This watertesting laboratory will help us find lasting solutions to water purification and shortage challenges in our areas,” she said.
From left are Temba Malunga (director of technical support: Ngwathe Municipality), Petrus Jordaan (closure manager: Voorspoed Mine), Cllr Ndayi (chief whip and MMC for infrastructure: Ngwathe Municipality), Ms Joey Mochela (executive mayor: Ngwathe Municipality), Kalipa Kewuti (regional manager: Department of Mineral Resources and Energy), Lebogang Mphaka (corporate affairs manager, De Beers Voorspoed Mine) and Sellwane Mokwene (director SLP: Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.)
A local small medium and micro-enterprise, Ramokgwera Trading & Projects Pty Ltd, was selected as the main contractor for the lab reno- vations. In contributing to local short-term employment, eight temporary job opportunities were offered to community members who could gain experience and training for future opportunities in other projects. Voorspoed Mine’s corporate affairs manager, Lebogang Mphaka, said; “Water is essential; even more so during the present pandemic. As De Beers Group, we recognise how essential it is to collaborate with our communities and commit to creating a lasting legacy through sustainable projects like this.” In delivering a speech during the ceremony, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s regional manager, Kalipa Kewuti, emphasised the importance of mining companies’ compliance in achieving their social and labour plan objectives to sustainably benefit the host communities from a regulatory perspec- tive. “We applaud Voorspoed Mine for being compliant,” she said.
