Kumba Iron Ore’s Kolomela mine is responding to its vulnerable communities’ needs by providing potable water for proper cleaning and sanitation in addition to the food parcels during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The mine has two water tankers supplying the vulnerable communities of Tsantsabane with potable water during the lockdown period.
This initiative followed after the Department of Water and Sanitation has provided the Tsantsabane Local Municipality with 50 water tanks with a capacity of 5 000 litres each, placed at strategic points accessible by most of the vulnerable communities.
To accommodate the demand and complement the water supply, additional water tankers were requested.
In addition to Kolomela’s two water tankers, the municipality also provided one tanker and the department another two tankers, thus five tankers altogether.
This water supply initiative is, however, a short-term solution while the municipality is finalising a long-term solution for water supply for the area.
The Tsantsabane Local Municipality is monitoring the project daily, ensuring proper maintenance as part of its service provision. The extension of Kolomela’s support is currently being considered until the end of the year.
This is in addition to the 900 000 m³ monthly average water supply to Tsantsabane aimed at the communities.
“Anglo American is wholly supportive of the South African government’s proactive efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19 through the national lockdown and other measures. We see it as our duty of care as a responsible corporate citizen and the second largest employer in the Northern Cape. We are committed to protecting the sustainability of our host communities. Many of them depend on us daily for a wide variety of essential services – now more than ever,” said George Benjamin, Kolomela’s Public Affairs Manager.
“Through our WeCare programme, we will continue to support our host communities with essential services as well as access to healthcare services including testing, quarantine and isolation facilities.”
Anglo American is supplying water tankers to nine municipalities, expanding water programmes to 21 villages around four operations and drilling ten boreholes in Zimbabwe.
