Gold Fields’ South Deep Mine handed over 13 homes to elderly residents in the Poortjie settlement on Thursday.
Gold Fields recently completed the reconstruction of the dilapidated homes in Poortjie, where 13 elderly residents have been waiting for decent housing for years.
The houses, rebuilt at a cost of R1,4 million, were handed over to their new owners at the Poortjie Community Hall. The project created 17 jobs, nine of which were filled by locals, and the remaining eight were filled by residents of the surrounding region of the West Rand District Municipality.
The 40 square metres, two-bedroom houses are equipped with solar geysers, ensuring the residents have access to hot water while maintaining energy efficiency. Gold Fields engaged with the community members of Poortjie on a regular basis and the residents will occupy the houses later this month.
Other community projects that South Deep is involved in include the R4 million restoration of the historic Healdtown Comprehensive School near Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape, and building and donating 150 housing units – at a cost of R28 million – in Westonaria as part of the upliftment programme for Bekkersdal.
“Gold Fields recognises the importance of making meaningful contributions to the communities in and around the areas in which we operate. We feel privileged to be able to make a difference to the elderly who have waited so long for housing.
“This project and the others we have been involved with have made a meaningful contribution to job creation, upliftment of local communities, poverty alleviation and empowerment and we look forward to future engagement and collaboration with the local municipalities,” says Nico Muller of Gold Fields.
